The Apple Never Falls Far
by PurplePygmypuff
Summary: Shyla Granger was raised as a Weasley, but when she is sorted into Slytherin, her bloodline is questioned. With truths unraveling, Hermione Granger has to deal with the mistakes from her past, that are back to haunt her. But can they learn to trust again?
1. Happy Birthday, Miss Granger

**Shyla Granger was raised as a Weasley, but when she is sorted into Slytherin, her bloodline is questioned. With truths unraveling, Hermione Granger has to deal with the mistakes from her past, that are back to haunt her. But can they learn to trust again?**

**Rated T for some swearing, and future topics. Will not cross the border into M, and if for some reason it does, I will change the rating, and give ample warning. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**The Apple Never Falls Far**

**Chapter 1: Happy Birthday, Miss Granger**

**"**Hey, Mum?" the preteen girl asked on a bright and early Sunday morning in the month of April.

April 17, to be exact. The girl had light brown hair, with very little wave to it, and light blue eyes. She was thin and poised - she didn't take after her mum much at all. In fact, the only time her hair had any wave to it at all was shortly after waking up, or when the level of humidity got the best of her. The girl found it an important part of her day to straighten it, which she hated, because it involved using a product made by Muggles.

"Good Morning, Shyla," her mother replied.

"Has the owl arrived yet?" Shyla asked, cautiously.

"Felrin is in his cage, still sleeping," Hermione Granger said softly as she sipped her coffee. Her hair was long and as wavy as it had ever been. She had most certainly aged over the years, especially from the work of raising a child on her own. Yet, aging suited her.

Shyla sighed. "Mum! Not Felrin. The really important owl. You know, the owl carrying a letter from Hogwarts!" Shyla was not enjoying her mum's game.

Hermione smiled. "Oh! That owl... No, it has not arrived. Hmm... This late in the day? Maybe you're a squib after all!"

"MUM!" Shyla shouted. "Don't jinx me like that!"Hermione laughed softly and hugged her frustrated daughter.

**"**Happy eleventh birthday, my beautiful girl."

Shyla smiled.** "**Thanks, Mum. When are we going to Grandma and Grandpa Weasley's?"

"This afternoon. So be patient, my love. First, I have a present for you." Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement. She handed Shyla a package wrapped in a crimson red paper.

Shyla quickly took the large present and tore the paper. It was a book. She carefully fought back the look of disappointment to spare her mum's feelings. _Hogwarts: A History_was the title that labeled the old book.

Hermione grinned.** "**This was my copy when I went to Hogwarts! I added so many of my own notes, I thought it would be a wonderful way for you to get a good start at your history. And you can add your own notes, perhaps to pass on to your own child someday!"

Shyla smiled and hugged Hermione. "Thanks, Mum." Shyla took a piece of buttered toast from the stack on the small, two person table and went to her bedroom. Her bedroom was her escape, decorated completely in her own taste, since Hermione wanted Shyla to have a bedroom she would desire to come home to during holidays. The walls were a soft shade of blue with thin deep brown lines creating a plaid pattern. Miscellaneous posters filled the walls, including one of her favourite Quidditch team, the Falmouth Falcons, the band the Weird Sisters, and one of a Chinese Fireball dragon.

She tapped the play button on her stereo and music came blasting from the speakers. It was Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls, a popular wizard rock band that Shyla found much enjoyment listening to. It drove Hermione insane at how loudly Shyla listened to her music, especially because of the excuse Shyla used, to say it helped her concentrate.

Her bed was twin sized, but it was comfortable enough. A candle flickered on her vanity table, giving off the scent of fresh baked cookies. It was one of Shyla's favorite smells, considering her mum didn't exactly excel in the baking department. They mostly ate pre-made food, but when Shyla felt inclined, she was able to make a delicious yellow cake with a raspberry jelly filling.

Shyla flopped down onto her bed and took a bite of her toast. "Ugh, wheat bread," she groaned. Hermione was on a kick of trying to get them to eat healthier and she thought wheat bread was a good start. Being a, now eleven, year old girl, she would much rather have the soft flavor of white bread.

She opened _Hogwarts: A History_and proceeded to thumb through a few of the pages and laughed to herself. **"**_As discovered by Harry Potter, the sword of Godric Gryffindor works wonders against Basilisks. Year 2." _A few flips of the pages later, she came across another note. **"**_The Whomping Willow hides a secret passage to the Shrieking Shack, but I would not recommend risking the possible injuries to access it." _

Shyla laughed to herself. "Yeah, right! My mum is one of the most cautious people. She would have never risked anything that could possible get her expelled." Shyla closed the book and tossed it next to her on the bed. As much as she wanted to please her mother, she was not interested in books, although she read them when there was nothing else to do. She had more of a desire to be adventurous and to get into trouble. Hermione said Shyla took after her father in that sense and that pleased Shyla a great had never known her father. He was killed during the Great War. Hermione didn't talk about it much but Shyla picked up bits and pieces from her aunts and uncles to make up a decent story about his life and heroic death.

Shyla stayed in her room until lunch time, spending time straightening her hair, against her mother's wishes, and staring at her features in the mirror. She pretended not to be so vane, but she loved everything about herself. Especially her eyes. The shade of blue was very rare for her family. Her aunt, Fleur, had lovely blue eyes, but they were a darker blue than Shyla's. Besides, they weren't actually blood related.

There was a sharp tapping on the window. Shyla ran from her bedroom and threw open the window, allowing the wind to catch her long, soft hair. A large black owl fluttered in and presented Shyla with a parchment. Printed on the front was:

Miss Shyla Jane Granger

Shyla took the letter and smelled it. For nostalgic reasons of course. "Told you I wasn't a squib!" Shyla teased her mum as Hermione fed the owl a treat. After reading and rereading the acceptance letter several times, Shyla grinned. "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts!"

Hermione and Shyla made their way to the home of Arthur and Molly Weasley. They had been there thousands of times before, but this time it was special. It was Shyla Granger's eleventh birthday. The most important birthday to any young witch or wizard. As the girls approached The Burrow, Hermione had a flashback to the day she introduced them to Shy.

_Hermione was 18 years old when she walked up to the crooked house with an infant bundled in her arms. She had not seen the Weasley family in nearly two years. So much had changed. The war had gone into full force. Losing Harry. Losing Ron. Hermione had gotten pregnant and given birth to a healthy little girl. For the first time, she had run away from life, scared of what others would think. She had gotten closer to a friend, creating a friendship that she needed the most. Even her own parents, she avoided for the sake of their good name, thinking she had betrayed their trust. But today would be a fresh day. A new start. __Today, Hermione Granger would introduce her daughter to the outside world._

_She crossed the barren field to the lonely house. A cloud hovered over it, while the rest of the sky was a clear blue, with only wisps of clouds. She feared that today was a bad day in the Weasley household. But it was too late now to turn back. Besides, she had been putting this off for months. It was now or never._

_The wooden gate creaked as she swung it open, her heart pounding in her chest the entire time. With a last moment of hesitance, she slowly raised her hand and made a light fist. Quickly, she knocked. A part of her was wishing that nobody was home. But then the door opened. A young, red headed girl, now woman, stood at the door. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were dark with pain and suffering. This was definitely a bad day for the Weasleys._

**"**_Ginny?" Hermione asked softly, adjusting her arms._

**"**_Yes?" Ginny Weasley replied. "Can I- Shit..." Her face became even paler if that was at all __possible. "Hermione? Is that really you?"_

_Hermione nodded quickly, tears of joy coming to her eyes. "I'm so sorry! I just... I needed some time to adjust... after the war. It ended so quickly."_

_Ginny allowed tears to stream down her cheeks. "Come in! We all thought you were dead!" She opened the door, not noticing the bundle in her friend's arms. She began shouting through the house, calling attention to their visitor. "Mum! Dad! Everyone! It's Hermione!"_

_Molly Weasley left the kitchen, wiping her damp hands on a towel. "Goodness..." she breathed, looking up from her hands. "Hermione? It really is you..." Tears over flowed as she took Hermione in a large, motherly hug._

_Hermione adjusted baby Shyla in her arms and returned the hug. Soon Arthur, Fred, George, and even Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, joined in on the hugging and exclamations of joy._

_It was finally Katie who noticed what Hermione was carrying. "Hermione, is that-?"_

_Hermione smiled lightly, "That's why I'm here. I need to talk to everyone."_

_Molly glanced at the bundle and gasped, "Is that a baby?"__Hermione nodded, "Can we sit, please?"__Arthur nodded, and escorted the young girl into the living room. "Can I get you some tea?"_

_Hermione shook her head, "No, thank you." She adjusted the baby so that everyone could see her. "This is Shyla. She's my daughter."Molly gaped at Hermione, her eyes wide with surprise. "How old is she?"_

_"Shyla is about four months old. She was born on April 17." Hermione replied, caressing her baby's soft skin._

_Fred quickly did the math in his head. "Who's Shyla's father?"_

_Hermione blushed as Ginny jumped into the conversation. "I bet it's Ron. Right, Hermione? I always knew you and Ron would fall in love eventually!"_

_"Gin... I..." Hermione tried to explain._

_Molly allowed tears to form and run down her face, 'Oh, wouldn't that be such a gift! It would be like a part of Ron was returned to us! But tell us Hermione, is it Ron?"_

_They all turned to Hermione expectantly. Their faces full of hopes. She looked down at Shyla, taking a deep breath, "Yes," she heard herself saying, "this is Ron's daughter."_

Hermione allowed the memories to take over as she watched her now eleven year old daughter play with her best friend. It had been hard, but Shyla was worth every moment of every day.

**"**Happy birthday, Shyla!" the large, extended family chorused as the young girl blew out the candles on her birthday cake.

Hermione was glad that her own parents were able to visit the Burrow for such a special occasion. Typically, Shyla had 3 holidays for every one. One with her mother, the next with the Weasley family, and then with her Grandma and Grandpa Granger. But this year, for this birthday, Hermione was able to convince her parents to make the drive to the Burrow. It would have been easier for them to use the Floo Network, but Hermione's Mum was terrified of the entire process.

Shyla grinned as she opened up a present in between bites of chocolate cake withmint frosting. "This one is from Grandma and Grandpa Granger!" Shyla announced, tearing the paper. It revealed a book about space and the stars that filled their galaxy. Shyla gave a half smile and set the book down. "Thanks..."

Hermione eyed her father. "Dad, she's eleven. Really?"

Mr. Granger shrugged. "At that age, you couldn't wait to read anything factual. Besides, astronomy is really cool."

Mrs. Granger turned to her daughter and sighed. "I tried to convince him that clothes or a game would be better. But he had his heart set on getting her that book."

Hermione smiled. "Well, I am sure _I _will enjoy reading it. So thank you, Dad." She smiled at him playfully and turned back to watch her daughter.

"This one is from all of us, Dear," Molly said excitedly, handing Shyla a large, rectangular package. It was covered in brown paper, enhanced with black stars and swirls to decorate.

Shyla carefully removed the paper to reveal a red box. She removed the large lid, revealing a broom. Shyla's jaw dropped. "This is a Nimbus 2015!" she squealed and pulled the black broom out of its box. "I can't believe it! My very own broom! I love it! Thank you everyone!" She shoved the last of the cake into her mouth, standing to leave the table. "Who's up for a game of Quidditch?" Shyla and her cousins ran outside, to try out the new broom. Leaving the adults to themselves.

Mrs. Granger sighed and walked over to the package, fiddling with the paper. "We're just the _Muggle _grandparents. Face it John, our gifts will always be second to these magical ones."

Hermione shook her head, "Oh, Mum, please don't feel that way." She turned to Molly Weasley this time. "Molly, this was really too much."Molly smiled. "Nonsense, Dear! Shyla only turns eleven once! We all pitched in, it really wasn't a big deal. Plus, it's last year's model. Just let Shyla enjoy herself."

"Besides," George laughed, "we had to help her out somehow. Between you, being terrified to fly, and Ron... Well, he was Slytherin's 'King' for a while there."

Fred, Charlie, and Bill all joined in laughing and joking about Ron's inability at Quidditch. "Not quite as bad as Percy, though," Charlie added, eating the rest of his kid's cake.

"Where is Percy, anyway?" Hermione asked, shaking her head at the brothers.

Bill scoffed. "He'll be here later. At least, so he says. Who knows with Percy anymore."

Katie rolled her eyes. "All of you, give Percy a break. He's dating someone new. Maybe he can finally move on and be happy again."

"Daniel died six years ago!" Charlie emphasized. "You would think six years would be plenty of time! Do I miss my wife? Yes. But for the sake of my children, I got on. No, I'm not ready to date again, but I don't sulk every day."

Katie threw a glance a Ginny and lowered her voice. "For some people it just takes longer!"

Hermione sighed. "I thought she was happy with Neville."

Katie shrugged. "She was. I really believe she was. Then, after Darius was born,something snapped. Poor Neville, though."

"Shh! Ginny's coming over," Bill hissed. He laughed lightly. "Fred, that was killer man. Don't make me choke!"

Ginny gave a half smile. "What's so funny?" Her eyes were heavy, and her hair didn't have the shine that it used to.

Bill nodded to Fred and laughed, "Oh, this joke that Fred told. Classic."

"Oh, what joke?" Ginny asked her brother.

Fred coughed and threw a quick glare are Bill. "It's this Muggle joke, that, uh, Hermione's dad told me. He tells it so much better, but I'll take a shot at it." He quickly thought of the only Muggle joke he could and smiled. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

Ginny looked at him and shook her head, while Hermione rolled her eyes.

Fred began to laugh in anticipation. "To get to the other side." The group of adults started laughing, while Ginny just looked at them like they were insane.**  
****  
****"**That doesn't even make any sense," Ginny said, dryly.

Hermione laughed. "No, Gin, what doesn't make any sense is 'why did the elephant cross the road?" She paused for the effect of the joke. "Because it was stapled to the chicken."

Fred laughed, and the others began laughing at the sound of Fred's laugh.

Hermione's dad smiled and laughed.** "**That was Hermione's favorite joke as a little girl. On road trips, she would go through every animal she could think of, and repeat it back to the chicken. I think the record was 24 animals stapled together before she forgot the order."

Hermione smiled at her dad. She was glad that her parents were finally comfortable around the Weasleys. It had taken them years to become relaxed, and not uptight and awkward, whenever magic was used. But they did it for their daughter, and their granddaughter. Martha Granger was helping Molly with the dishes, insisting that she help, even if magic could do it so much faster. John Granger was now in the backyard with Arthur Weasley, hiding from their wives, as they smoked pipes together. It was a nice sight to see. Soon, Hermione began to notice many of the men slipping away, to join for a smoke. Their wives pretending to be oblivious. _'It must be nice__,__' _Hermione thought to herself, _'to be a wife.'_

* * *

**Thanks for reading my first chapter of The Apple Never Falls Far! I have the first 14 chapters written (and know where it is going), and they are currently in Beta. I will likely update twice a week or so. With my summer internship, I am not sure what days I will update, but definitely keep an eye out! But for now, please R&R!**

**~PurplePygmyPuff**


	2. A Trip to Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: Because I spaced adding one before... But seriously, I am a poor college student, I definitely do not own Harry Potter! JK Rowling does, because she is amazing! I do however "own" the next gen characters. In other words, I created them.**

**Chapter 2: A Trip to Diagon Alley**

Diagon Alley. It never stopped exciting Shyla, since she loved to shop. But this time, it wasn't just a typical shopping day. Today, Shyla would be getting ready for her upcoming year at Hogwarts.

Hermione kept a close eye on her daughter while they walked the crowded streets on the mid-August day. The plan was to meet the remainder of the Weasley clan at Fred and George's joke shop: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

Charlie would be there with his two sons, Victor, a 4th year, and Justin, a new 1st year. Bill and Fleur had two children as well, James, a 3rd year and Chloe, a 2nd year. Mind you, so far, these children all occupied the Hogwarts house of Gryffindor. Katie also accompanied her upcoming 1st year daughter, Ali. And George's wife, Alicia, with their oldest son, a 1st year as well, Thomas. And of course, Arthur and Molly Weasley. They were also joined by Ginny and her husband, Neville.

The younger kids were left with sitters, giving the parents time with their children before they left for Hogwarts.

Inside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, bright colors danced off the walls, giving a vibrant glow. Fred stood at the check out counter, assisting students, and their parents, with purchases. On the wall behind him were shelves with their newest items, ranging from pea sized items labeled _Memory Mints: Regain your memory in one simple bite_, to _Collectible Cauldrons: Choose your favorite color, each comes with a surprise!_

Next to the new items was a tall display of the original products that were distributed throughout Hogwarts to test on their fellow students. It was easy to tell that Fred and George were proud of the way their career started. By the counter was a curtain door with a sign above it labeled "Testing Zone: Employees only."

George Weasley had a group of students huddled around him in the corner of the store. He appeared to be teaching them how to smuggle the joke shop merchandise into Hogwarts. He grinned with excitement as he talked with the teenagers.

Hermione watched the two men with amazement. They were fathers of soon to be Hogwarts attendees! Yet, they still retained their child-like charm. She pitied Katie, for she had a set of twins of her own at home. Lucas and Andrew, five year old terrors. With their flaming red hair, they obviously took after their father and uncle.

In the center of the shop, Shyla joined her favorite cousin, Ali. They cooed over the pygmy puffs and their many colors that inhabited a large, multilevel cage. But it really didn't appear to be a cage, where you keep something locked up, but a safe place for these fluffy creatures to live together. "Dad!" Ali cried out excitedly. "Are pygmy puffs allowed as a Hogwarts pet?"

Fred laughed as he finished assisting a customer. He strolled over and kissed his daughter on her head of long, shiny red hair. "You know, there has been some debate about that." He grinned and presented a light blue ball of fluff. "This one is the first light blue I have ever encountered. Take good care of her. She was born just 6 months ago."

"Really? I can have her?" Ali asked with a grin.

Fred smiled back at Ali. "Of course, she is all yours!"Ali squealed and took the pet. "I love it!" she said, hugging her father. "Thanks, Dad!"

It was moments like this that Shyla wished she had a father. But she got over the feeling of loss quickly. She had gotten used to it just being her and her mum at such a young age, so that now she almost felt as if life would just be weird if she did have a father of her own.

Once the greetings died down, Hermione took Shyla to Ollivanders Wand Shop.A chime above the door sounded as the entered.

A very old man peered his head around from one of the many shelving units that lined the old, dusty shop. "Blimey!" he shouted, "11 inches, cherry wood, embellished with ivy!"

Hermione laughed. "Hello Ollivander!"

Shyla stared in amazement. "How do you-"

Ollivander smiled with a soft twinkle in his eyes. "I remember every wand I ever sold. And I believe I will shortly have another one to add to the list!" He then turned back to Hermione. "My, how you've grown. And now! To have a daughter of your own! Tell me, who is her father?"

"Ron Weasley!" Shyla said before Hermione could reply.

"Really?" Ollivander said in surprise. "Well, then you are destined for the House of Gryffindor for sure! It is in your blood."

"Hey, Mr. Ollivander, do we have any more ribbon in the back? I'd like to gift wrap some of the boxes." A tall, dark man asked, coming to the front of the store.

"Dean Thomas," Hermione smiled, "how are you?"

Dean grinned. "Wow, Hermione! I'm doing really well, I'm an apprentice here. And you? Is this your daughter?"

Hermione nodded, "Shyla, this is Dean. We were in Gryffindor together."

Shyla smiled. "Hello. I'd imagine you would have known my father then, too? Ron Weasley?"

"Ron? You know, that comes as no surprise. And yes, I did know him. He was a friend of mine. Until I dated his sister!" Dean laughed.

"You dated Aunt Ginny?" Shyla stared doubtingly, wondering how anyone other than Uncle Neville could handle the intensity that came with Ginny.

Ollivander smiled, "Dean, would you get a wand for Miss Weasley to try out?"

"Granger," Shyla corrected, "my last name is Granger."

Ollivander and Dean looked at Hermione curiously.

Hermione hesitated. "Shyla Granger sounded much better. Considering my name never changed..."

"Of course, not another thought." Ollivander smiled softly at Shyla. "Dean, a wand for Miss _Granger, _please." He added emphasis to Granger, in a sense of apologizing for his mistake.

Shortly after Dean disappeared around a wall of shelves, he came back with a stack of wands. "Try this one first!" he exclaimed, as he handed Shyla a wand made of a light-colored wood.

Shyla gave a strong swish. It did nothing.

"Hmm," Dean contemplated, "not much like your mother, are you?"

"Shy' is pretty independent," Hermione agreed.

Dean nodded and went to the back. He returned with two wands.

The next one, Shyla swished just as strongly. It caused the shop windows to shatter behind her. Ollivander eyed Dean with a sigh.

"Nope! Not that one!" Dean exclaimed, taking back the wand quickly, and handing her one more.

Shyla looked it over. It felt good in her petite hand, as if it was meant to belong to her alone. She gave a flick of her wrist. The wand released an energy that Shyla had never felt before. "This one's good," she said, softly.

Dean smiled as Ollivander praised him. "Wood from an Alder tree, with a strand of Unicorn hair, given willingly, of course."

After Hermione paid Ollivander, and Dean gift wrapped the wand in a box, they made their way towards Flourish and Blotts, the book store.

"This just makes me so much more excited! I can't wait to start school and learn all about spells and hexes!" Shyla said, cheerfully.

"Hexes?" Hermione questioned.

"I figure that if you're going to know cures, you should know the hexes that will be needing the fixing," Shyla explained casually, but mostly to keep her mum from questioning her further.

"Hmm," Hermione sighed, "well, here we are. Flourish and Blotts! What's on your requirement list, Shy?"

Shyla handed her mum the list and started to wander off, "I just want to look around first. You can find the books for me."

"Shyla!" Hermione called after her, but she was already gone. She sighed to herself and looked at the list.

Shyla made her way to the fictional section. Reading for pleasure instead of information was so much more enjoyable to her. A petite girl around her same age leaned against one of the book cases, flipping through a novel about a romance between a young witch and wizard. The girl had silvery blonde hair and average features. She was thin and carried a sense of pride about her. Her eyes were large and doe like, carrying a soft shade of hazel.

"Oh, hello," Shyla said, casually, hoping they would be going to school together.

"Hey," the girl replied, "I'm Eva Malfoy."

"Shyla Granger," she replied, picking up an adventure book and quickly putting it back. She preferred books on revenge and secret societies. "Are you starting Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes. Every Malfoy has been placed in Slytherin, and I intend to keep that tradition," Eva said, proudly.

"Funny, my father was a Weasley, and every Weasley has been in Gryffindor," Shyla replied, nonchalantly.

"Weasley? You don't look like a Weasley," Eva accused with a slight laugh, her blonde hair flitting. "But I guess that does mean we won't be friends."

"Why not?" Shyla asked. She liked Eva's attitude, but knew her mother would be greatly distraught if she saw her daughter behaving in such a way.

Hermione caught sight of her daughter talking to another girl. This wouldn't have been an issue if she hadn't seen none other than an adult, Draco Malfoy, watching the other girl closely. Hermione closed in on Shyla, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her behind, just as Malfoy closed in on his own daughter.

Malfoy, with his blonde hair and grey eyes, pushed Eva aside and eyed Hermione. "Granger..."

"What do you want, Malfoy?"Hermione glared at him, recalling their long and painful past.

Shyla looked at Eva and shrugged. Eva stood proudly next her father."Such a harsh tone. Really, there is no need." He smirked, discretely looking Hermione over. In a way, examining her.

Hermione sighed, and tried to play nice. "Draco Malfoy, this is my daughter, Shyla. She will be attending Hogwarts this year."

"Shyla Granger," Shyla announced to Malfoy. She didn't want anyone else confusing her last name again.

Malfoy smirked again. "Granger? Taking the mother's name?"

Hermione cringed. "Her father isn't around much. Not that it is any of your business."

"My father is dead," Shyla stated, bluntly.

"And I do see that it should be my business, seeing as I will be teaching her Potions. If she acts out, I should need an idea as to why," Draco Malfoy said with a smile.

"This cannot be happening! You? Teaching potions? Great." Hermione was beginning to look and feel uncomfortable.

As she began to turn away Malfoy called after her, "Hermione. Be sure to purchase her a good potions set. The last thing I need is another lost cause."

"Draco?" Hermione asked turning back to him, fighting the urge to run away. "Please don't treat her the way you treated me in school. She took after me very little."He eyed Hermione carefully before he turned, allowing his long, black robe to flow behind him. "Come, Evangeline."

Hermione shut her eyes tight and tried to remain calm, but when she opened them, Ginny Longbottom was starting at her accusingly.

"Since when has there ever been a time where you and Malfoy have been on a first name basis?" Ginny demanded.

"Ginny, don't make a scene," Hermione said, attempting to push past, but being stopped by Molly Weasley. "Molly, please."

Molly glared at Hermione. "He fought with You-Know-Who. He is an accessory to my son's murder!"

Hermione fought back the tears she knew were coming. "No!"Shyla looked around nervously, not wanting people to see this. But was relieved when she saw her future professor walking back towards them.

"Professor Longbottom!" Malfoy called to Neville. "I would like to discuss an assignment I will be giving where the students will need to make use of some of your plants." He looked at Hermione for a long second with sympathetic eyes. Hermione was shocked to find him so willing to come to the rescue. She was almost suspicious.

Neville sighed with relief. "We can definitely work something out. What plants do you think they will need?"

"Neville!" Ginny protested."Dear, he is a fellow professor, please understand.I will meet you later," Neville said softly, giving Ginny a kiss on the cheek, and leaving with Malfoy.

By now, Arthur Weasley was leading his wife and daughter from the shop. He looked at Hermione shortly, and in a way, he apologized with only his eyes.

Hermione escorted Shyla to the long line ahead of them to purchase the books. Shyla tried to stay quiet, but found it quite difficult. "Mum? Why does Aunt Ginny hate Professor Malfoy so much? He seemed nice."

"Shyla, drop it, please," Hermione pleaded."But Mum!" she protested.

"I said drop it!" Hermione scolded, finalizing the conversation, and any small talk that may have wanted to be heard.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you to my 2 reviews from tripleloopx and Sugarquills007! I love reviews, they make me happy! I will update again on Sunday. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! Oh! And the next chapter is really good! I am quite proud of it, and can't wait to post it! But for now, please review! *hint hint***


	3. Hermione's Story

**A/N: So I decided to post a chapter today, and I will post one tomorrow as well! This is because I won't be able to post the next until Thursday at the absolute earliest, and then likely not until the following Monday for the next. If you made sense of that, then kudos! Haha.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hermione's Story**

Hermione and Shyla had not said a word to each other since they left Diagon Alley. Hermione felt obligated to still appear at the family dinner that was scheduled for after the shopping trip, and thought it might be as good a time as any to explain her side of the story involving Draco Malfoy.

Once at the Weasley's, Shyla raced to the backyard for a friendly game of Quidditch with her cousins. Shyla loved the sport and hoped to one day occupy a spot on the team. She took full advantage of her older cousins when they were home in the summer to teach her the rules and tricks. Fred and George began teaching Shyla about Quidditch when she was only 4 years old. Despite Hermione's wishes to keep her daughter's feet firmly on the ground, Shyla took a liking to flying. There was no stopping her when she was on a broom.

Hermione, glad to see that all of the children were playing outside, took this time to confront the adults. "There's something that I need to explain," she said nervously.

"Go ahead, Hermione," Arthur said, gesturing to an over-sized arm chair. He had an inkling that it was relevant to their encounter with Malfoy in the book shop.

Hermione sat nervously, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked around the crowded room. All of the adults were socializing in the living room of the Burrow. The walls were busy with pictures of family and friends, and a section dedicated solely to Ron and even one to Harry. Hermione cringed and turned back to the family. She breathed heavily, and then began. "Draco Malfoy did not fight with Voldemort. He fought with Harry, myself and Ron." She paused for a moment to sort her thoughts and memories.

_Twelve years ago. It was July and the air was hot and humid. Hermione was making her way to the stream hidden in the woods. Their camp was only a ten minute walk away, but it was quiet out here, and at times, as any girl would, Hermione liked to be alone._

_She heard muttering as she reached the stream. It was a young Draco Malfoy. He had his wand to his arm, muttering "Incendio," allowing fire to sweep the Dark Mark that stained his skin. When Hermione realized what he was doing, she raced to his side and pulled his wand away._

"_Leave me alone, Granger!" Malfoy shouted, fighting with her and pushing her away, causing Hermione to stumble into the stream. It was deep enough to soak her clothes, but shallow enough to not cause any danger of drowning._

"_Stop it!" she shouted, standing up and swiping for the wand again. And again, resulting in failure. "You're just going to hurt yourself and it won't do you any good," she snapped__._

_Removing the bandana from her hair, she placed it in the cold water, allowing it to soak before applying it to Draco's arm. "Please... Stop," Hermione begged._"_Why would you care about what happened to me?" he said, removing the cloth and pushing Hermione's hands away._

"_Look, we're fighting on the same team now," she said, ignoring his actions and reapplying the cloth to his arm. "And besides, you're not nearly as vile when you need someone to trust you," she teased. "And I do trust you, Draco," Hermione added softly, looking away.__He stopped resisting and looked at her, his grey eyes gentle._ "_Thank you..."_

"It was three months before the war that Draco came to Harry. His mother's life had been threatened and he no longer wanted to be under Voldemort's, or his father's control. He arrived while Ron was away, dealing with his own issues. Harry trusted Draco the quickest, he needed a friend on the inside, and he knew the love that a boy could have for his mother. Though Harry still did not trust Snape, even if he was the one to help Draco leave. Draco helped Harry begin to trust again. I quickly learned to accept Draco, for Harry's sake. Ron never did. He always thought that he was a spy for Voldemort. Draco and I even managed to become friends. After the war, we parted ways. It had been nearly twelve years since I had seen him last." Hermione sighed a breath of relief to share this information after so long.

Molly was crying, most everyone else was quiet, but Ginny was fuming. "If he fought on our side, why is he still alive, while Harry and Ron are dead? Besides! You are a Muggle born, Malfoy hates Muggles!"

"Ginny!" Fred yelled at his sister. "Why would Hermione lie?"

Hermione rose to her feet and faced Ginny. "I'm alive, and therefore Shyla is alive, because he saved me!" She began crying heavily, but still tried to make her words clear. "When the battle started, I thought I was prepared, I thought I was ready to fight. But I wasn't, Ginny! Something snapped and I went into shock. I couldn't breath, I couldn't move. People around me were dying! And there was nothing I could do. A Death Eater came towards me and I could do nothing. Harry couldn't keep track of me, he had his own battles, and he knew if I stayed there, I would be dead." She slumped back into the chair, wiping her eyes. "Harry ordered Ron to get me out of there. Ron refused, he thought that I had abandoned our friendship for one with Draco. He was stubborn and selfish. When Draco saw what was happening, he came for me. He fought around me until we had a moments break. Then we Apparated. He cared for me and when he knew I was safe, he went back to the battle and fought. If it wasn't for Draco Malfoy, I would be dead. As much as I cared for Ron, there was no getting past his stubborn ways."

"How do you know that Malfoy didn't go back to kill Ron?" Ginny accused.

Hermione stared at Ginny in horror, "Ginny! I cannot believe you. That is a horrible thing to say! Why would you say such a thing? Do you honestly think that he would save me, return to fight against Harry and Ron, and then come back to where he left me, to make sure I was okay? To heal the minor wounds I had sustained? I was ashamed of myself. I abandoned my best friends when they needed me the absolute most." She let out a soft sob and covered her mouth to steady her breath.

"Everyone thought you were dead, until you showed up on the door step over a year later, with your daughter," Molly finally said. "If Malfoy had saved you, why did you not return sooner?"

Hermione flushed. "I was devastated! I had learned of Harry and Ron's deaths and realized that I was a complete coward. It could have easily been my fault that both of them were dead! I couldn't go home knowing that I had failed them both!"

Katie moved to the arm of Hermione's chair and wrapped her arms around her. She held her close as Hermione continued to let her tears run down her face.

Ginny raised her wand at Hermione. "Malfoy should have died that day! Not Ron and NOT Harry! I agree with you, this could be all your fault!"

"Ginevra!" Arthur shouted.

Fred and George both stood, pointing their wands at their sister. "Ginny, lower your wand!" Fred yelled."Don't test us, Ginny!" George added.

"All of you! Lower your wands!" Bill said, standing and trying to calm his all of the commotion, the children began filing inside to see what was happening. Ginny turned her wand to Fred and George. "A Malfoy will never be accepted by this family!"

"Mum?" Ali cried out to Katie. Katie shot a warning look to Fred. Everything was happening so quickly. Hermione found the urge to leave and never return. Just as she had been tempted to so many years ago.

Hermione stared at Ginny. "This is why I never told you! It was complicated then and it is complicated now. I owe my life, and Shyla's life, to Draco Malfoy. I'm sorry if it is of any inconvenience to you! I will gladly leave!"

Shyla stared at her mum in shock. What else hadn't she told her?

"Did Ron even know you were pregnant?" Ginny demanded.

Hermione's eyes burned with fresh tears. "No. I never told him. I didn't even know myself until a couple months later. I didn't tell Draco either. I just left. I needed to face my burdens alone. Because that is what they were, mine alone."

Katie left Hermione's side and went to the kids. With the help of Alicia and Fleur, they began to shoo the kids back outside. Shyla ignored their wishes and ran to her mother, holding her hand for support. Hermione squeezed her daughter's hand and gave a half smile in thanks.

"My money's on Aunt Ginny!" Victor said to James.

James laughed, "Aunt Ginny may look mad, but Uncle Fred and Uncle George are the greatest wizards ever! They have their own shop! Aunt Ginny just stays home with Melody and Darius!"

Neville went to Ginny and put his arm around her. "Please, sit down."

"I will not sit down!" Ginny shouted. "I cannot allow her to defend him as if he has done no wrong! He was nothing but evil to this family and to Harry! He is a Death Eater! He was going to kill Dumbledore!"

Hermione cringed and held Shyla close, knowing the truth that Ginny did not. She knew that Draco had not wanted to hurt the former Headmaster of collapsed into a puddle of tears on the floor. "Harry wasn't supposed to die! I loved Harry! I loved him!"

"Mummy?" Seven year old Melody called out to Ginny.

Neville left his wife's side for his daughter and son, Darius, a four year old, to take them outside. Away from their mother's obvious emotional break. Molly replaced Neville's position in comforting Ginny. She held her daughter close and hushed Ginny, trying to get her to breath normally.

Arthur was embarrassed by his daughter's behavior. "Hermione, you and Shyla are both very important to me, and if Draco Malfoy saved you, I owe him my gratitude."

"Thank you, Arthur," Hermione said softly, wiping away a tear.

After an awkward dinner, Shyla sat outside in the dark, watching the stars. She briefly thought of the book her Grandfather had given her, and wondered what constellation she was staring at.

"You know, Malfoy isn't that bad of a guy..." Shyla overheard Neville saying softly. "He's grown up a lot since our school days. Butterbeer?"

"Thanks, Neville," Hermione replied, accepting the drink.

"You know, 'Mione, we're glad to have you and Shyla around," George laughed. "Shyla sure makes things more interesting around here. She can have quite the mouth on her."

Hermione laughed, not knowing of her daughter's presence. "Oh, I know... I tried, I really did. Shyla is definitely her own person. I worry about her going away to Hogwarts."

"Nah, don't be worried! George and I made it through just fine! Well, sort of," Fred pitched in. "But, you know, when she was 6, and was spending the night with Ali, they looked thru an old family album, and Shyla looked at Ron's picture and said, 'Ya know, I am so happy that I don't look like my dad in the least, he looks too dumb.' Katie and I knew then that it wouldn't matter who's child she was, she was going to live her life how she saw fit. But we knew we would love her anyhow."

Shyla smiled. She was glad to have uncles who cared so much about her, even if her horrid aunt wished her dead. Ali joined Shyla on the grass, laying beside her. "I've heard about Professor Malfoy from the older cousins. They say he is always trying to take points away from Gryffindor. But, you're my best friend, Shy. If I wasn't starting Hogwarts with you, I'd be totally lost."

Shyla turned her head and stared at Ali. "Shut up. You're so sappy... Seriously!"

"Admit, I'm your best friend too!" Ali teased. "We're best friends forever!"

"I admit no such thing!" Shyla insisted stubbornly. "But if it makes you feel better, I think you're okay."

Ali grinned. "This is going to be the best year ever! We're going to get into Gryffindor together. and we'll have all sorts of adventures!"

Shyla laughed. "Seriously, shut up. You're going to make me vomit."

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it! ^_^ I will post the next chapter tomorrow evening. Thanks for reading! Oh, and please please please review! Thank you!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	4. Destined to Ruin the Blood

**Chapter 4: Destined to Ruin the Blood**

After bidding her mum goodbye and being warned to behave, Shyla sat on the train with Ali, Justin and Thomas.

"I can't wait to be sorted!" Thomas shouted. "I know all Weasleys get sorted into Gryffindor, but still, won't it be so exciting?"

Ali grinned. "Oh, yes! My Dad told me that even if you desire to be in one house, the hat knows your true self and will put you where it sees fit. Even if for some reason I don't get Gryffindor, I would be happy in Ravenclaw."

Justin smiled. "My mum was in Ravenclaw." He let his shaggy red hair fall into his eyes. "It's days like this I really miss her."

Ali smiled at Justin reasuringly. "My mum really adored your mum. They were good friends."

"I met a girl at Flourish and Blotts," Shyla said, changing the subject. "Her name's Eva Malfoy and she said that Malfoys always get into Slytherin. But she seemed cool."

Ali shook her head. "The older cousins said to stay away from Slytherins. Said they are only trouble."

Shyla shrugged and smirked, "I like trouble."

"Shy, if you get detention, Aunt Hermione is going to kill you!" Ali reminded.

"Mum said that Dad and Uncle Fred were loads of trouble in school! Dad promised me that he would tell me all of his secrets when I get older," Thomas said enthusiastically.

The four chattered laughed together, and made plans to have an amazing first year. Talking about the idea of seeing a real Quidditch match, and the classes they would take.

"My mum said that she met Uncle Harry, and my dad on the train in their first year." Shyla said quietly. It was a surreal feeling to realize that her own mother was once the same age as she was. "I'm so glad I grew up with magic, and knowing about it. Could you imagine not knowing? You would think that they would have to go into a preliminary school, to at least get caught up with the rest of us."

"Shyla, don't talk that way." Justin warned.

"Why not? I just think they should know more than 'oh hey! I'm a witch!' before coming to our school!" Shyla challenged.

for quite some time before their cousin Chloe came in. "Better get your robes on. Once you get off the train, you'll meet Hagrid, he'll take you across the lake and to the castle. Good luck."

Shyla liked the way she felt in robes, they flattered her well, too. As they left the train, a large and very hairy man, well over 8 feet tall, was calling the first years over. "First years! This way! Watch your step!"

"You must be Hagrid!" Thomas cried out.

"More Weasley children?" the man called Hagrid replied.

Ali giggled. "I'm Fred's daughter and Thomas is George's son! They said to tell you hello! But... then they laughed." she shrugged and grinned up at the graying man.

Hagrid cringed, but smiled politely. "I will tell you kids once, and ONLY once: leave the lake monster alone, stay out of the forbidden forest, and don't go snooping around!"

Thomas became elated, "I almost forgot! The lake monster! Dad said that he prefers cupcakes!"

"And cheese!" Ali joined in.

Justin smiled softly, he was far more of a bookworm than his fellow first years. Shyla laughed as she climbed into the boats lining the edge of the lake, she was sure she would love Hogwarts.

Hagrid sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Hagrid, my mum said to say hello to you. It's been a long while since we've seen you," Shyla said,warmly. She liked Hagrid, he was fun. "Besides, Ali is too much of a scaredy cat to get into any real trouble," she teased, sticking her tongue out at her cousin.

Hagrid's dark eyes glistened in the moonlight. "Thank you, Shyla. I have been meaning to visit your mum for some time now. I will be sure to send her an owl." He turned back to Ali and Thomas, "Just know that you both are already on the 'keep an eye on' list. The children of Hogwarts' biggest trouble makers? You better believe it!" His voice was gruff, giving him a sense of authority.

After all the first years were situated into the boats, Hagrid untied the robes, and climbed into his own, rather large, boat. The lake was like liquid glass. Only rippling as the boats carried along by magic. The lights of the castle on the other side of the lake shone through the night. It was beautiful and mysterious. There wasn't a single first year student who was not excited.

Once the boats reached the other side of the lake, a short, stout professor with a heart shaped face and short brown hair, was waiting for the first year students. "My name is Professor Ralonius. I will be leading you to the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your respective houses. Please wait here quietly while I see if Headmistress McGonagall is ready for you."

Ali gripped Shyla's hand in nervous anticipation. Shyla glanced around at the other first years;about 40 in all were to be sorted that year. She saw Eva Malfoy standing towards the front. Seeing as they were bound to be in such different houses, she saw no use in saying hello.

"Come now!" Professor Ralonius shouted, directing the first years to the hall. "Make way to the front, you will wait until your name is called."Shyla's eyes scanned the Great Hall. She saw Professor Malfoy sitting at the the front, amongst the other professors. Sitting next to Malfoy was her uncle, Neville Longbottom, and next to Hagrid on the other side was her mother's dear friend, Luna Lovegood.

Professor Ralonius held open a scroll as she called the first name. "Cerys Andrews."

Cerys gave a small smile to the Professor and sat herself on the stool. Her mousy brown hair was barely touching her hunched shoulders. Shyla intently watched, not because she found Cerys to be interesting, but because she was the first student to be sorted. It didn't take long before the sorting hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!" Cerys smiled proudly, and quickly joined the table that was cheering for her.

Next was a small boy by the name of "August Collins." His dark blonde hair flopped into his eyes, and he gave a flip of his head as the hat was set. The sorting hat seemed to have difficulty sorting August as he sat there for a good minute. Finally it announced, "Slytherin!"

August gave a bored shrug and walked to his new table with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Shyla instinctively looked to the cheering table. They all had a sense of superiority it seemed. She looked back to the Gryffindors who rolled their eyes at the Slytherin boy. Such different houses, it was obvious.

"Ashley Darwin." Ashley had long dark brown hair, that curled at the ends, and tanned skin. "Gryffindor!" The hat called loudly. Shyla couldn't help but wonder if they would be in the same house, and if they would even become friends. The Gryffindor's cheered, with the first sorting of the new year.

"Keelee Devode." This girl was tall with long brown hair. She had an airof pride and troubleabout her. Shyla liked her already. Quickly the hat yelled, "Slytherin!" It was almost an urgent yell, as if there was no doubt in it's strange mind. Keelee was a Slytherin, no question to it.

"Harrison Fox." It didn't take long before the plain looking boy was sorted into Hufflepuff. Shyla took a deep breath, realizing that her name would soon be called.

"Shyla Granger." Professor Ralonius looked at Shyla casually and smiled as she took her place on the dreaded stool. It looked so innocent, sitting there in front of everyone. But once she sat on it, it felt like a spotlight had been set, and all eyes were on her. She swallowed heavily, and as the hat was placed on her head, she was really glad her hair looked perfect today. She would have felt her world ending if it hadn't. The sorting hat felt heavy.

"_Cunning, and poised, there is definite class to you,_" she heard the hat whispering in her ear. "_I sense a conflict of interest. A desire to be in Gryffindor, eh? Is that really true to yourself, __though? Well, really, it is your own desires that guide you. A personality that allows you to succeed anywhere you go. Your blood, it is a conflict of interest over one house. But, I suppose it will have to be..."_

"Slytherin!" The hat shouted to the school. Shyla's heart dropped into her stomach. She felt the color from her skin drain. Her eyes flicked back to her uncle, Neville, who was sitting next to Professor Malfoy. Malfoy smirked as Neville turned his eyes away from Shyla. She wanted to protest, she wanted to cry out, '_No! You're wrong!' _but the words never came. She felt a knot in her throat as her cousins at the Gryffindor table stared in shock. She stared back at them, wanting to ignore the hat, and join the cousins that expected her. The cheering from the Slytherin table, not even registering to her ears.

"What... What did it say?" Shyla managed to choke out in question. There were whispers coming from the Gryffindor table. Strangely, they sounded louder than the clapping.

Professor Ralonius smiled gently. "The Slytherin table is that way, dear. Please join your new housemates."

Shyla slipped off the stool in a complete daze. Quickly she found an open seat at the Slytherin table, between Keelee and August. She felt her heart beating a million times a minute. Her stomach turning from the confusion that plagued her mind.

"Katia Livingston" was the name called next, as if Shyla's world hadn't just ended. A small girl with auburn hair sat on the stool. "Hufflepuff!" Katia smiled softly as she skipped to her house.

"Evangeline Malfoy." The small blonde sat on the stool proudly. As the hat touched her hair it shouted "Slytherin!" Eva looked at her father proudly and went to her table. Eva was welcomed warmly, as if she already belonged. "Move." The girl ordered August, who slid down the best he could. Eva's eye's turned to Shyla. "I'm surprised, Granger. I was sure you said you were a Weasley."

"I am." Shyla managed to choke out.

Eva laughed lightly, "Obviously not nearly as much as you thought." She smirked and turned her attention back to the sorting.

The next few names flew by, being sorted into various houses. A couple more girls to Slytherin, several students to Ravenclaw, and the occassional Hufflepuff. Shyla took note of the Gryffindors that were sorted though. At one point, she managed to catch Ali's eye, and smiled sadly, in a way, apologizing. Shyla felt like she had ruined their chance at an amazing year together.

"Alisera Weasley!" Professor Ralonius finally called. Ali glanced at Shyla nervously. Shyla truly believed that Ali was destined to be in Gryffindor. And the sorting hat quickly proved it. "Gryffindor!" it shouted. Ali was ecstatic, seemingly forgetting about Shyla's position.

Next was "Justin Weasley."

She eyed her cousin cautiously. She secretly hoped he wouldn't get into Gryffindor either, thinking maybe it would take some of the pressure off of her. But she knew better. Justin was a Weasley. But so was she... Shyla's head flooded with sat there for over a minute. "Must be a complicated boy," a Slytherin laughed, "but Weasleys always get into Gryffindor." Shyla looked away.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat said,firmly.

"What?" Shouts were heard from the Gryffindor table. Shyla breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't the only one who ruined the bloodline. This made her happy in a twisted way. Justin even looked happy in a sense. '_Did he really want to be in his mother's house that badly?' _Shyla asked herself. Justin walked to his fellow Ravenclaws and sat with them. He smiled softly at Shyla. It was almost a sure bet that he was glad that Shyla wasn't sorted into Gryffindor either.

And lastly, "Thomas Weasley." was called. There was no chance that Thomas wouldn't be a Gryffindor. Both of his parents were Gryffindors, same as Ali's.

Thomas grinned a toothy smile as he sat on the stool in front of the rest of the school. His red hair flopped into his dark eyes."Honestly, how many Weasley's are there?" Eva laughed.

Thomas was there a mere ten seconds before the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table cheered, along with Ali. Justin clapped politely. Thomas smiled even broader as he walked to his new housemates and greeted by his cousins.

Once the sorting was finished the headmistress, Professor McGonagall, rose and stood in front of the students. "To our first years, welcome to Hogwarts! And to our returning students, welcome back." She smiled softly and continued. "Our caretaker, Argus Filch would like me to remind you that if any student is caught in the Forbidden Forest, there will be severe punishment. Please also remember to respect the castle. It is your home for the next 10 months, and for some, the next 7 years. Study hard, but remember to enjoy your time at Hogwarts. Now, please enjoy the feast that has been prepared for you."

Piles of food appeared in front of the students. It was a feast that would fit a king. Shyla eyed the bowl of mashed potatoes and took a large scoop. They were always her weakness. Once students were casually eating and chit-chatting, Eva turned to Shyla. "So tell me, I thought you said that all Weasleys got into Gryffindor. What makes you so special?"

Shyla cringed, placing down her spoon. "They did... Until me... and Justin. My grandmum is going to be pissed!"

The girl called Keelee laughed. "You're a Weasley?"

Shyla shrugged. "My father was... My last name is Granger, though."

"Hon' you look _nothing _like a Weasley," Keelee giggled. "Trust me, that is such a good thing!"

Shyla laughed a little, trying to fit in. "I know. That was one thing I was always glad of."

"So... is your family, like, going to disown you now?" Eva asked.

Shyla shrugged. "I don't think so... After all, Justin got into a different house too. Maybe they'll just realize that not everything is about getting into Gryffindor... I think my mum will be disappointed though. All she talked about after I got my letter was how great Gryffindor was."

The boy across from Shyla scoffed. "Gryffindor is full of goody-goodies who think they're better than the rest of us. I would rather be sorted into Hufflepuff than into that house."

Shyla looked to her cousins at the Gryffindor table. They seemed to have forgotten about the sorting and were happily enjoying their meal. Justin was too. He was chatting with the Ravenclaws like they were old friends. Then again, maybe they were. The only other children Shyla grew up with were the Weasleys. She and her mother lived in a small apartment. Hermione found no use for a large house with just the two of them. And most of their neighbors were elderly witches and wizards, who had retired. Sometimes their grandchildren visited, but for some reason, unknown to Shyla, they weren't allowed to play with her.

"You know, I don't care that I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor. They can have their red and gold. I always preferred green anyways," Shyla stated defiantly. Her light blue eyes fixed on the Weasleys for a moment more and then she cast her eyes away for the remainder of the feast, allowing herself to enjoy the company of her fellow Slytherins.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to SlytherinTribute12, for letting me know that I slipped up, and Shyla accidentally called Ron her Uncle. WOOPS! But it is fixed now!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	5. Letters

**Chapter 5: Letters**

Dear Mum,

I got sorted into Slytherin. At first,I was sad and confused. But I think I will really like it. The other students are really nice to me, and I may have already made a new friend. Do you remember the professor that we saw at the book store? It's his daughter, Eva. Oh, and the professor, Professor Malfoy, is my head of house! The only thing I miss is spending so much time with Ali, like we had planned. Please don't be disappointed in me. I love you.

Shyla

* * *

Shyla,

I am glad you are happy, I should have always known you would go your own way. I wish you luck in your assigned house. And Shy, please stay out of trouble this year.

Love, Mum

* * *

Miss Hermione Granger,

I am pleased to inform you that your daughter, Shyla, has been sorted into my house, Slytherin. I hope you can continue to support Shyla in her academic career at Hogwarts.

Sincerely,Professor Draco Malfoy

* * *

Malfoy,

Your letter was dripping with amusement on your part. I don't care who you are, if I find out that you are treating my daughter with any less respect than your other students, you will have to deal with me personally. As far as supporting Shyla, how dare you even think that I would not support her my child.

Hermione Granger

* * *

Dad,

I got sorted into Gryffindor, but Shyla and Justin didn't. Justin is in Ravenclaw, and Shyla is in Slytherin. I don't think I can be Shyla's friend anymore. And it makes me really sad. But as I have been told, Gryffindors are not supposed to be friends with Slytherins. I hope the rest of school year goes better. Please give Mum and my brothers a hug for me.

Love, Ali

* * *

Ali-Bug,

I know you are sad that Shyla didn't get into Gryffindor, but please try to be her friend. Think about what she is going through. She is still your cousin. Your mother and I love you very much. We want you to be happy and to succeed while you are in Hogwarts. Enjoy your classes.

Love,Dad

* * *

Dad,

I got into Ravenclaw, just like Mum! At first I was a little sad to not be in Gryffindor with the others, but it made it easier that Shyla isn't either. She's in Slytherin. I hope I can make you and Mum proud. I am very excited for classes to start. Everyone in my house is so smart, and they are already making study groups!

Justin

* * *

Justin,

Your mother would be so proud of you. She was the smartest lady I ever knew. I am glad you can continue your mother's memory. I love you, Justin. Don't let anything your brother says get to you. He cares for you, and wants to look out for you, but as any older brother, he really isn't sure how. Take care.

Love, Dad

* * *

Hermione,

I am absolutely outraged at your daughter's house sorting. Your daughter is a disgrace to the Weasley bloodline! I refuse to accept this outcome. I will be contacting Headmistress McGonagall, demanding a resort for both Shyla and Justin. Prepare to visit Hogwarts tonight, 9pm sharp, if you know what is best for your own daughter. We need to get this sorted out right away.

Molly Weasley

* * *

Headmistress McGonagall,

I see it is fit to demand a resort for my grandchildren, Shyla Granger, and Justin Weasley. They were destined to be in Gryffindor, and I will be arriving at Hogwarts at 9pm to deal with this matter myself.**  
**Molly Weasley

* * *

Charlie,

I know your wife was a Ravenclaw, but Justin is of Weasley blood. He should be in Gryffindor, where he belongs. I ask you to meet me at Hogwarts, 9pm, to conduct a resort.

Love, Mum

* * *

Molly,

I really think that we should leave the children alone. But for Shyla's sake, I will be there. Keep in mind, I do not approve of this.

Hermione

* * *

Mum,

Please do not do this. I understand that being Gryffindors is important to you, but Justin is happy. He deserves to be happy.

Charlie

* * *

Tonks,

Shyla got sorted into Slytherin. I'm okay with it, but Molly is having a fit. I don't know what to do. I can't handle her on my own. She has demanded a resort. Please come with me, and Remus as well? I am hoping that having other people there might calm her a bit.

Thanks, Hermione

* * *

**A/N: I know it's a really short chapter, which is why you will get another one tomorrow! I felt like this chapter worked best in just a letters format, showing the interaction between the parents and kids. I have a "family tree" of the Weasleys that I have put together. I will hopefully get one posted to my profile next week (if not tomorrow), mostly for reference. There are a lot of Weasleys to keep track of... heh... ANYWAYS! Thank you to all of my reviewers! And thank you to everyone who has added the story to favorites or alerts, it makes me so excited to see that people are enjoying it! ^_^**

**See you all tomorrow!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	6. A Resort is Demanded

**Chapter 6: A Resort is Demanded**

Shyla followed the other Slytherins to their common room. The dungeons were dark and musty, but inside the common room, it was warm and welcoming. Tapestries hung on the walls, bearing the crest of Slytherin. To the left and even further down was the 1st year girls dormitory. Shyla, Eva, Keelee, a girl named Savannah, and a small Asian girl, Lydia, filed into the bedroom.

Shyla saw her trunk resting at the end of a bed. She sat on the bed gently, taking in its comfort. "Wiskers!" she cried out excitedly. She held the large black cat in her arms. The cat purred softly.

Eva sat next to Shyla, and pointed at the cat, "Is he yours?"

Shyla nodded and hugged Wiskers. "I had almost forgotten that my mum let him come with me. He has been with me for years."

Eva pet Wiskers on the back. "My mum hates cats. So I was never allowed to have one. And I must share my father's owl, so I don't have a pet here."

The other girls came over as well. Savannah had wavy shoulder length black hair. Her eyes were a soft brown. Slytherin girls were generally very pretty. Mostly because of the amount of time they put in to look that way. Lydia's hair was long and perfectly straight. Her eyes were dark, and her skin was silky smooth. The girls cooed over Wiskers. He was loving the attention.

As Shyla was getting ready for bed, a knock sounded at the door. An older girl, whom Shyla recognized as a 5th year prefect, appeared. "I'm looking for Shyla Granger," she said, sharply.

Shyla looked at her cautiously. "I'm Shyla..."

"You need to come with me to the Headmistress' office," the prefect replied. The girl had soft brown hair cut in a pixie style. She was one of the few girls that could successfully pull it off at Hogwarts. As Shyla left with her, the other girls stared and giggled.

Once they were in the corridors of the dungeons Shyla spoke again. "Am I really in trouble already?"

The girl laughed. "Heavens, no. I feel sorry for you, really. I hear your entire family has shown up demanding a resort. Slytherins aren't all bad, you know. We just like appearing as if we're better than everyone else. It's more of a reputation to uphold." She smiled at Shyla, "I'm Crystal, by the way."

Shyla's face flushed upon hearing that her family was waiting for her. "My family is so embarrassing," she muttered under her breath.

Crystal laughed, her green eyes fixing upon Shyla's cold blue eyes. "My mother cried for weeks when I became a Slytherin. She was a Hufflepuff. Fragile little thing. She can't comprehend the idea of challenging authority. This summer, I cut my long hair all off, just because she insisted that I never cut it. But frankly, I like it short." Crystal rambled on until they got to a statue of a very large bird. "Well, here we are. Sorry I talked so much, I just get carried away."

Shyla smirked. "Oh, don't worry. I stopped listening a while ago."

Crystal chuckled. "Miss Granger, I don't care what they say, you are a Slytherin."

Shyla smiled as Crystal muttered the password to enter the stairway. They walked to the top together, and once they were invited in, Professor McGonagall thanked Crystal and sent her on her way. Shyla swallowed hard as she looked around the room. Justin was there, obviously for the same reason. Uncle Charlie had his hand on Justin in a protective fashion. Her Grandma and Grandpa Weasley sat on an overstuffed couch. Her mother was being consoled by Tonks. "_Tonks? What are Tonks and Lupin doing here?" _Shyla shouted silently. Shyla was actually relieved to see her head of house, Professor Malfoy, standing darkly in the corner.

"Shyla!" Hermione cried out as she raced to her daughter, and hugged her. "I promise you, this was not my idea. I was willing to just accept the sorting, and move on. I'm sorry I couldn't stop them."

"This is about Shyla and Justin ruining our bloodline. They are Weasleys and are supposed to be in Gryffindor!" Molly Weasley shouted.

Shyla pulled away from her mother and stormed to Molly Weasley. "This is stupid! Justin and I did not ruin your bloodline! Just because we have minds of our own, and aren't perfect little Gryffindors like the rest of your insolent offspring, doesn't mean that we're not Weasleys too!"

The room got was the first to speak. "I think that settles it. Miss Granger belongs in Slytherin."

As the uproar began again, Professor McGonagall demanded full attention. "This is an outrage! In all of my years at Hogwarts, I have never seen such disrespect for the decision made by the sorting hat! All of you attended Hogwarts, and should know that once the sorting hat makes a decision, that is it. The house that the student is placed in is set. There are no re-dos."

Of course, as everyone expected, Molly protested. "You, Professor McGonagall, seeing as you have been with Hogwarts for such a long time, should know that Weasleys are ALWAYS placed in Gryffindor. I demand to see the hats decision for myself. Justin, I can _almost_understand, seeing as his mother was a Ravenclaw. But Shyla's mother _and _father were both in Gryffindor." She turned her accusation to Hermione. "Honestly, you failed at raising your daughter."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as Tonks came to her defense, her hair turning a dark shade of red, out of the instinctive angry she was preparing to release. "Molly! You have seen Shyla grow up, she has never been one to go with the flow and just do whatever everyone else expects of her. Hermione has raised her daughter to be herself, and I think Shyla has turned out marvelously! What happened to the Molly Weasley that loves her grandchildren?"

Hermione whispered a "thank you" to Tonks.

Molly only stared at Tonks in disbelief. All of this had gone beyond too far.

Professor McGonagall sighed, seeing the severity of the situation. "Shyla, Justin, would you two be willing to put on the hat, to please your grandmother. You won't be resorted, but it will allow everyone to hear the sorting for themselves."

Justin nodded. "Sure. It won't hurt." He was always the rational, calm one. He didn't have the temper that the other Weasleys often carried.

Shyla rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "If it means that I can just go back to bed afterwords, fine." After a long day, Shyla was ready to just forget what had happened, and accepted the consequences.

Justin went first. He sat calmly as the sorting hat was placed on his head, yet again. "I remember you!" The hat announced. "You were hard to sort. Strong blood from the father, and the mother. You would do well anywhere, but your knowledge outweighs any other trait. Ravenclaw is a good choice."

Justin smiled at his father, and Charlie smiled back. He was proud of his son, no matter the house he was in. Molly sighed and stubbornly accepted Justin as a Ravenclaw. Justin was smart, and always dedicated to his studies. There was no denying that. He loved when his brother would come home on holiday, so he could teach Justin what he had learned.

It was Shyla's turn next. Professor McGonagall eyed Shyla carefully. "You don't have to do this, Miss Granger."

Shyla scoffed. "Just get it over with." She replaced Justin's position, and folded her arms, slumping slightly in the chair.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said, placing the sorting hat on Shyla.

Everyone became attentive, including Draco Malfoy. After all, Hermione Granger's daughter being placed into Slytherin was rather shocking.

The sorting hat let out a short laugh. "This one is a Slytherin, there is no doubting that. Sly, cunning, and smart. Any other house would have been a complete mistake. At first, I sensed a longing for Gryffindor. But it was not the qualities of Gryffindor she possessed. There is no changing my mind. This girl will make an amazing Slytherin. She will succeed in this house."

Shyla smirked at her grandmother as the hat was lifted off her head. "I'm glad I ruined your family's name." She snapped, unsure of where the words came from. She always loved her Grandma Weasley. But she was hurt, tired, and fed up.

"Shy!" Hermione scolded in disbelief.

Molly Weasley was in tears. "How could the offspring of my Ronald be a Slytherin? It is everything he stood against! He died fighting against the values that Slytherins hold dear."

It was Malfoy's turn to speak up next. "You will not speak against my house and my students. The war ended nearly twelve years ago. It's about time you got over it, and stopped carrying the prejudice that you so desperately _fought against._" He nearly spat the final words at her.

Molly's face was cold, and hard. She opened her mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off.

McGonagall frowned at the scene. "Now that any doubt has been cleared, I think it is time for Justin and Shyla to go back to their houses and into bed.

"Professor Ralonius placed a hand on Justin's shoulder. Shyla hadn't noticed the small lady standing out of the way. She turned to introduce herself to Charlie. "I'm Professor Ralonius, I'm the Ravenclaw head of house. Justin will be a fine student. You should be proud, Mr. Weasley."

Hermione hugged Shyla. "Please, please, please, behave yourself."

"Yeah. Okay, Mum," Shyla responded hugs were given by Tonks and Lupin. Lupin smiled at Shyla, "Hang in there. You can always write Tonks, or myself if you ever need anyone to talk to."

Shyla nodded and turned away, refusing a hug from her Grandpa Weasley. Molly was still crying too hard to acknowledge Shyla, and the young girl didn't care.

Malfoy appeared at Shyla's side and said casually, "it's time to get you back."Shyla nodded and hugged Hermione once more."Malfoy..." Hermione said softly. He turned towards her. "Please take care of my daughter."

Draco smirked. "She's a Slytherin. Of course I will." He paused and looked around. "Get some rest. She'll be fine."

Malfoy escorted Shyla from the Headmistress' office, and towards the Slytherin common room.

"Professor... What would you have done if your daughter didn't get into Slytherin?" Shyla asked once she got up enough courage.

Malfoy sighed, "it's crossed my mind more than once, to be honest. Evangeline's mother was a Hufflepuff. You know, my father was even more on blood purity than your grandparents. If I hadn't been a Slytherin, he would have completely disowned me. But, I was more Slytherin than anything else, so I never worried. As for Evangeline, if she had been placed into Hufflepuff, of course I would have been disappointed, but glad either way that she was my daughter."

Shyla looked at the ground and fiddled with her robe. "I overheard how you and my mum know each other... She said you fought with Harry Potter... Against the Dark Lord. Were you and my mum ever friends?"

He didn't respond for a few minutes. "For a very short time, we were friends, yes."

"Oh," Shyla responded, with a shrug.

Once they reached the entrance to the common room, Malfoy took his leave. "Miss Granger, don't pay any attention to your grandmother. She has no right to act that way."

Shyla nodded and entered the portrait. It was already after 10 pm, and most of of the students were already in bed. A few 5th years hung out in the common room, telling stories about their summers. Shyla looked at them as she walked to her dorm room. They were enjoying themselves. Shyla was jealous.

The other first year girls were all fast asleep when Shyla entered the room quietly. Wiskers was curled up, sleeping at the foot of her bed. "At least I have you, Wiskers," she whispered into her cat's fur as she allowed sleep to overcome her senses.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo, I completely forgot about a picnic today for the Museum I am doing an internship for, so I got this posted a lot later than I anticipated. I also haven't had a chance to get the Weasley family tree posted. Look for that this weekend! :D It will just be text based on my profile. As another note, I know that Wiskers is spelled wrong, but that was how I spelled my cat's name growing up, and I based Shyla's cat on mine. Hope you enjoyed!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	7. Welcome to Being Different

**A/N: So here are a few things that I lamely forgot to include a while ago. This story was written and planned out with my bff. It has been so much fun plotting things! She keeps me on track with typing the story out, and all that fun stuff. **

**And secondly, I'd like to thank my Beta-er, is that the right term? Anyways, thank you so much to SamanthaMalfoy23**

**Onto the story! Allons-y!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Welcome to Being Different**

Shyla stood in the girls' bathroom with the other Slytherin girls. As girls typically do, they were primping. Shyla's hair was still wet from her bath. The last thing she wanted was for her hair to be wavy on her first day of classes. She looked at a girl who appeared to be straightening her hair with her wand. "Can you teach me how to do that?" Shyla asked, holding out her own wand.

The girl laughed, "You're a first year, we wouldn't want you setting your hair on fire. But, since you're a Slytherin, and I refuse to let any girl in my house walk around not looking her best, I will do it for you."

Shyla smiled, "I'm Shyla."

"Tracy." The girl smiled back as she straightened Shyla's hair. Tracy's hair was blonde with one long purple streak. "I'm a sixth year, by the way."

"Did you hear about the girl who's family came to Hogwarts, demanding she be resorted?" An older girl squealed. "That would be sooo embarrassing!"

Shyla's face flushed and she looked away.

"I heard it was someone in our house," another girl added laughed, "News travels fast in Slytherin. If we don't hear the rumor first, we start it." She looked over Shyla's hair and smiled, "All finished!"

"Thanks!" Shyla smiled softly. She was having a hard time understanding why people didn't like Slytherins. So far, any she had met had been nothing but nice to her.

Once she was ready for classes, Shyla looked at her schedule. Potions with Professor Malfoy was first. Shyla walked with Lydia and Savannah to class.

"So Shy', you have to tell us, why were you sent to see McGonagall last night?" Savannah pried.

"Oh! Do tell!" Lydia pleaded.

Shyla rolled her eyes at the girls, "My stupid grandmother... She had this huge freakout, saying that I ruined her family by being sorted into Slytherin."

Lydia laughed, "So you're the one they've been talking about."

"Yeah... but please don't go spreading it around. I don't need to be known as the girl with the crazy grandmum," Shyla requested casually, trying not to show pain in her voice.

"Sure," Savannah teased, "we wouldn't want that spread around either. If it was, we couldn't be seen with you."

Shyla caught Eva's eye as they walked into Potions. She was sitting next to Keelee on the right side of the room, towards the back. As their eyes met, Eva turned away and pretended they hadn't seen each other. Shyla was sure it involved a certain rumor that was circulating Hogwarts, giving the reaction her fellow Slytherin gave.

Shyla sat in a seat next to a Slytherin boy. She recognized him as Alden Davis from the sorting, the night before. His eyes were cold and disconnected from the dark classroom they sat in.

"I am Professor Malfoy," the tall blond announced as he entered the classroom, his robe sweeping behind him. His hair was shaggy, but swept out of his face. "I will be your potions professor. I expect that all students will respect my rules and will finish their work in a timely fashion." His eyes flitted around the room and stopped on his daughter. "Evangeline, pass these out for me." He handed her a stack of papers with the class syllabus printed.

Eva glared at him in protest. "I'd rather not," she snapped as he walked back towards the front of the class.

He stopped and turned towards her. "You will do as you are told. Five points from Slytherin."

Shyla sighed with the other Slytherins. She was his daughter... wasn't that against the rules or something? To remove points from your daughter's house? Never-the-less, he did without second guessing himself.

Shyla looked to the side of the classroom where the Gryffindors were seated together. Ali was sitting next to Thomas and a girl she didn't recognize. Ali looked uncomfortable when she noticed Shyla looking at her.

Shyla sighed and tore a small piece of her parchment off. With her quill she quickly wrote, "Black lake, Friday, at midnight. We're going to feed the Giant Squid. Bring any Weasley that will come. ~Shyla." She tucked the note in her bag for safe keeping until after class.

Malfoy gave his spiel about the usefulness of potions and how they are needed in any line of work. Truth serums, antidotes, cleansing solutions, draughts for sleeping and confusing, elixirs. The list hardly used potions, so Shyla naturally had very little knowledge in that department. She did, however, read a potions book one winter, when it was far too cold to venture outdoors and she was forced into absolute boredom. This book also had notes written by her mother in it.

Malfoy, noticing Shyla's inattentiveness, decided to see exactly how different this girl was from his former classmate. "Miss Granger, can you tell me what sorts of potions would include the need for leeches?"

Shyla's head shot up and she thought back to that winter. She was 9 years old. Her mother was at the Ministry for work in the Office of Misinformation. Shyla was frustrated because she was supposed to go with Ali and her family to the mountains for a Christmas tree, but when Shyla awoke with a cough, Hermione refused to allow her daughter out of the flat they lived in. After crying and making a mess of the house in anger, she was officially bored. Determined to destroy her mother's books, which Shyla believed Hermione loved more than her, Shyla picked up a potions book. It was written in. All over the place was Hermione's handwriting. This intrigued Shyla, she felt the urge to examine her mother's writing, to see the penmanship of the so-called genius. That was when she accidentally began reading, and realizing if she wanted to have a Christmas at all, she shouldn't destroy her mum's belongings, she read the entire book.

"Miss Granger?" Malfoy repeated.

Shyla nodded, coming out of her memory. "Polyjuice potion, I believe." Although, she thought there was something else that was mentioned along side it, but couldn't remember.

Malfoy stared. Maybe Shyla was more like Hermione than either of the Granger girls liked to admit. "And are there any specific rules that go along with the potion?" He decided to use Shyla as an example, and really hoped to give her ten points, to make up for his own daughter's lack of cooperation.

Shyla scrunched her face in concentration. "Um..." she closed her eyes and pictured her mum's handwriting filling the pages. There was one note that was larger than the rest and stood out. "It's not a good idea to attempt to become a cat..." That was all she could remember.

The other students laughed. A smirk formed on Malfoy's face. "Ten points to Slytherin," he said with satisfaction in his voice. Once he quieted down the class he continued. "Following the directions in making potions is very important. If you add too much of an ingredient to something as simple as a Pepperup potion, instead of curing a common cold, you can kill the person who ingests the potion. I warn you now, if you have any issues following directions, I suggest you find somewhere else to be." This, however, was a loaded statement. Seeing as potions was a required class at Hogwarts, if a student couldn't pass, they wouldn't graduate. No matter how skilled they were in other departments.

After class was over, Shyla slung her book bag onto her shoulder and walked to Ali. She slipped the piece of parchment into Ali's hand and continued walking. Outside the classroom, Eva cornered Shyla."Look, I heard about your visit to McGonagall's office," Eva started. "I just wanted to say, I'm glad you stayed in Slytherin... Because otherwise I would have to hate you."

Shyla smiled, "Thanks, Eva." As Eva and Keelee started to walk away, Shyla pulled out her schedule. How was she ever going to remember where anything is?

"Walk with us," Eva demanded of Shyla.

"Oh... Okay!" Shyla said catching up to the girls. She looked behind her to see that Savannah and Lydia were engrossed in their own conversation and likely didn't notice her absence.

Mondays and Wednesdays the Slytherins had Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Flying Lessons. Tuesdays and Thursdays, they attended Herbology, History of Magic. Fridays were reserved for Astronomy and Charms.

As the girls sat themselves together in Defense Against the Dark Arts, also commonly called DADA, they set their eyes on what appeared to be their professor. Standing at the front of the room was a tall, slender man in his mid-twenties. His soft brown hair was hanging in his eyes as he focused on a came from the boys in the room. They seemed confused and rather annoyed. Finally one boy became brave enough to say something. "Um... Professor... can we start class now?"

The Professor looked up. The girls in the class all let out a soft sigh as his eyes set on the class. One eye was a brilliant green with flecks of silver, and the other... His other eye was deep blue, and seemed to capture the souls of those who dared looked deep enough. He smiled. A few squeals were heard amongst the students. His pearly white teeth, perfectly straight. Then he spoke. "Oh, sorry, class. I seemed to have become distracted by the novel I was reading." His voice was soft and fluid. Was there anything not perfect about this man?

"I am Professor Medina, and I will be teaching you..." He waved his wand over the white board, allowing words to appear. "Defense Against the Dark Arts!" He finished proudly. He flashed a smile at a Ravenclaw girl in the front row. Her face flushed pink and she smiled back softly.

Professor Medina went on to explain what the students would learn in DADA. He told them about the need to protect yourself when you happen upon sticky situations, and informed them they would learn about werewolves and even Voldemort. Now that the war had been over for around 12 years, the wizarding community was no longer terrified to speak Voldemort's name. "Now, before we end class, are there any questions you have for me?"

The boys rolled their eyes as 15 feminine hands shot into the air. Medina called on a blonde Ravenclaw girl.

"What house were you in?" she asked eagerly.

Medina smiled and responded with, "I was in Hufflepuff during my school years."

He then turned toward the Slytherin girls. "The young miss... ?" he said, pointing to Shyla.

She never expected he would call on her. "Shyla Granger," she introduced herself quickly. "I was curious... Will we be learning about the great war in here?"

He smiled at her, "Well, Miss Granger, we will be covering a small portion, but I do believe Professor Binns will teach more in History of Magic." He turned to the rest of the class and threw his arms in the air. "Class dismissed!"

The students flitted out of the classroom and the Slytherins made their way to Transfigurations. The classroom was bright and welcoming. Professor Ralonius was standing at the front, patiently waiting for her students to be seated. The class period went by smoothly between the Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Shyla learned quickly that there was an unspoken truce between the two houses. Ravenclaws were often disgruntled at the rule breaking that was overlooked in the Gryffindor house, and Slytherins found the Ravenclaws to behave in their proper place. It was a little strange however, to be in a class with the head of the Hufflepuff house, with no Hufflepuffs. But, Ralonius was a kind woman, and treated all of her students the same.

As they left the classroom on the third floor, Eva linked arms with Shyla and Keelee. "Lunch time, ladies!" she announced.

"Lunch already?" Shyla asked, surprised. She looked at a portrait of a grandfather clock in the hall. It was charmed to keep consistent time. The painting struck noon and released a loud chime. Shyla watched as a wizard from another portrait walked into the painting of the clock with wand in hand. The mysterious wizard pointed his wand at the clock and cast a spell, sending pieces of the grandfather clock shooting into other portraits. The other witches and wizards that resided in them hollered at and scolded the trouble making wizard.

Shyla giggled at her new found amusement. Eva and Keelee paid no heed to the happenings of portraits though.

Lunch in the Great Hall was loud and busy as students discussed classes, Quidditch try-outs, and stories about their summer holiday. As Shyla served herself a ham and cheese sandwich, with chips, she turned to Eva. "So, Eva, why does your dad only call you Evangeline?"

Eva set down her fork from eating a helping of cheesy potato casserole. She rolled her eyes. "That's all he has ever called me... When I was 5, he came to teach at Hogwarts, leaving my mum and I alone with my Grandmum Malfoy in Malfoy Manor. He still acts as if I am that five year old girl, even though we saw him every summer and holiday break."

Keelee handled a piece of pizza carefully as she entered the conversation. "Doesn't he miss your mum?"

Eva shrugged, "She never missed him either. Honestly, they are the worst married couple ever... They don't even fight. They just... ignore each others' existence." She turned to Shyla this time. "What about your mum, does she date?"

Shyla laughed and shook her head, "Merlin, no! My mum was so preoccupied with raising me, and work, that she hardly went out. And I think she's still in love with my dad. She still gets really sad when she has to talk about him."

"I still don't think your father is a Weasley," Keelee rolled her eyes at her classmate. "Then what do you suggest?"

"We come up with a list of all the possibilities, of who it could be. And see who you are most like," Keelee responded confidently.

"Whatever... I'm still trying to be on my cousins' good side. Questioning our relations won't make it any better," Shyla scoffed.

"When you're ready, we'll be here," Keelee said, nodding to Eva.

Eva nodded as well. "Anything to clear you of a Weasley name."After lunch, the girls left the castle and headed to the grounds for Flying lessons. Shyla was excited for this class, seeing as she had experience on a broom already.

The students were met by a short man with dark skin and wild hair. He smiled brightly at the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses. "My name is Professor Lee Jordan. Along with the flying teacher, I oversee the Quidditch games. First years, you can try out for the teams if you like, but it is rare for one to get on. The legendary Harry Potter was a few years below me, and he was skilled enough to become a Seeker at your age." He stopped and stared at the two redheads standing next to the other Gryffindors. "Are you two Weasleys?" he asked.

Ali and Thomas both grinned. "I'm Ali, Fred and Katie are my parents, and this is Thomas, his parents are George and Alicia."

"Blimey! They were all amazing Quidditch players. You two must be destined! Your fathers were good friends of mine in school," Jordan explained. He turned back to the rest of the class. The Slytherins already appeared bored. "Now! I want you to place your hand over your broom. Like so." He held his hand out flat over his broom which was set on the ground. "You will then shout 'up' until the broom leaps into your hand." He demonstrated by shouting, "Up!" and the broom immediately secured itself to his hand. "Your turn, now."

The students eagerly shouted, "Up!" at their brooms.

Shyla was able to secure her broom in the third try. She looked around, proud that she was the first one able to accomplish the task.

"Well done! Your name?" Jordan said to Shyla.

"Shyla Granger." She replied.

"Any relation to Hermione Granger?" He asked.

"She's my mum," Shyla explained.

"Well, I can see you must get your broom handling skills from your father. Your mother was never very good." He laughed.

Shyla laughed with him. "My father was Ron Weasley."

Jordan laughed harder, "Nope, I lied, Miss Granger. Your father wasn't very good either, you must be one of a kind!"

Shyla smirked and looked to her classmates. Keelee had her hand out in front of her face, allowing the sunlight to catch her green sparkle nail polish and glisten in the light.

"Miss Devode!" Jordan called out, "At least TRY to call your broom! I know your father, and he will be the least bit happy if I have to owl him!"

Keelee glared at Professor Jordan and sharply stuck her hand out over her broom. She weekly said, "Up." and when it did not respond she rolled her eyes and went back to examining her nails.

Ali and Thomas both had their brooms in hand and were talking Quidditch with each other.

Eva was struggling to get her broom into her hand. "Up! Up... Up!" she continuously shouted as the broom rolled itself on the ground.

"Keep trying, Miss Malfoy! You're bound to get it soon!" Jordan encouraged.

When the entire class had brooms in hand, including Keelee, which took removal of house points for not participating and bribing to earn back double at the end of the class if she just paid attention, Professor Jordan had the students mount the brooms. He inspected each of the student's posture as they waited. "Good, Miss Granger, and the Weasleys of course!" He turned to Eva with a slight frown, "Try it like this, with you back arched a little more. No... no... too much..."

Eva glared at Shyla as she heard a giggle escape her lips. "Shut up, Granger!"

Shyla burst into giggles now, "I swear! It was just a hiccup!"

Eva left Shyla's side, and stood on the other side of Keelee.

"Eva!" Shyla cried out, "I'm sorry! Come back!"

"Ladies, save it for after class," Jordan warned. He looked at Keelee admiringly, "Have you ridden a broom before?"

Keelee shrugged, "No. But I watch a lot of Quidditch. You know, there are some really gorgeous Quidditch players..."

Jordan blinked a few times, "Well, can't say I have ever noticed." He went on to discuss the importance of knowing how to fly and the basics of Quidditch.

Shyla noticed a Gryffindor boy that was over fascinated by all of this. As Jordan explained a few aspects to some students, she approached him. "What is it? Never seen a broom before?" she teased.

He laughed, "I've seen brooms, but they were only ever used for cleaning. I never dreamed they could make you fly!" He was average height with black curly hair and dark brown eyes.

Shyla smirked, "What are you? A Muggle-born?"

He stammered a bit, "If you mean non-magical parents, then yes." He flushed and hung his head down. Ali and Thomas were quickly at the boy's side.

"Ignore her, Marco." Ali glared, speaking as if the words were mud that left a horrible taste in her mouth, "She's new to being a Slytherin."

Shyla lunged toward Ali, grabbing her cousin's robes. "You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Not if you're going to be a true Slytherin!" Ali shouted back, pulling at Shyla's hair.

Both girls were screaming now, and easily got Jordan's attention. "Hey! Knock it off! Both of you, detention after dinner today!"

"Great!" Shyla scoffed, attempting to fix her hair.

Ali's face was flushed and her robes were a mess.

Jordan reluctantly gave Keelee double the house points she lost at the end of class. "Miss Devode, please don't make me bribe you everyday. It won't work."

Keelee smirked and left with Eva and Shyla. "Merlin! I thought you were going to kill that Weasley girl!"

Shyla grumbled, "I'm so angry with all of them treating me like I mean nothing!"

Eva laughed lightly. Her laugh sounded like a tinkling of bells. "Ready to prove you're not a Weasley?"

Shyla glared, "Piss off, Eva! Just because you don't think I'm a Weasley, doesn't mean I'm not!" Shyla left her friends' sides and headed towards the Slytherin common room.

She was greeted at the portrait by her Head of House.

"Miss Granger, I have been informed that you have received detention on the first day," Malfoy addressed.

Shyla blushed and nodded, "Sorry, Professor. I just got so angry!"

Malfoy protested with himself before asking, "Would you like to talk?"

Shyla nodded.

* * *

**A/N: Here it is! I have now posted the Weasley's family tree on my profile. Enjoy! See everyone in a few days! Oh, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**


	8. In Trouble Already

**Chapter 8: In Trouble Already**

Shyla followed Malfoy to his office off of the Potions classroom. She fiddled with her sleeve as she sat down in a large arm chair across from him. The office was dark, but comfortable. Her eyes wandered the room aimlessly.

Professor Malfoy sighed and eyed her carefully. "You've had a rough first 24 hours at Hogwarts, haven't you?"

Shyla shrugged, "Classes were going really well until flying. Then I just couldn't take it anymore... I had been getting looks of despise from my cousins all day and in flying class, Ali acted like we were mere acquaintances. I just can't understand why they won't accept me for who I obviously am!" She was more frustrated than she had expected. "Plus, on top of it, Eva and Keelee are determined to prove that I am not a Weasley."

Malfoy smiled, "To be completely honest, I am having a hard time believing you have an ounce of Weasley blood in you."

Shyla frowned, "Why is that so hard to believe?" She dropped her eyes to her lap and avoided his gaze.

"For one, you look nothing like a Weasley. I know it doesn't seem like much, but they all have the same facial structure. Not to mention the red hair and freckles." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "And well... I was with your mother... and father... during the last few weeks of his life, and I had no idea they were that close. In fact, he rather hated her at the time."

Shyla looked up, her brow furrowed. "Why?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed, his cold grey eyes avoiding Shyla's, "Because she was friends with me."

Shyla scoffed, "Friends, right... I remember how you guys treated each other in the book shop..."

Malfoy felt his face flushing, something that didn't normally happen, but he held his composure. "I know it may not seem like it now, but at one point in life we were friends. And before that, we were enemies. So really, even though you aren't getting along with your cousins now, just give it some time, they might just surprise you."

"Why were you enemies?" Shyla asked, ignoring the part about her cousins for the time being.

Malfoy smirked, "Well, I was a Slytherin, she was a Gryffindor. That was really the start of it all. Besides, when we started here at Hogwarts, it was a very different world. Has your mother told you much about the war?"

Shyla shook her head and shrugged, "A little, but it seemed like a really painful subject, so I didn't ask often."

"It was painful for a lot of people. A lot of wizards believed that they were more elite than others. My father included. I'm sure you are aware of the pressure parents can put on you. You were raised to be a Gryffindor. I was raised to be a Slytherin. I am proud of my house, but if you can imagine, at that point in time inter-house unity wasn't exactly encouraged. There were things that I did, things I regret. Some of those regrets involve your mother. It was actually rather surprising that she and Potter allowed me to help them. I didn't deserve their trust. But that was the difference between Granger and I. Even in the darkest days of our young lives, she could still trust," he chuckled slightly. "What I'm trying to say is that your mother is one of the strongest people I know. She raised you to be an individual. I imagine you haven't changed much since you came to Hogwarts."

Shyla shook her head. "I just wanted this year to be perfect."

"Why can't it be?"

"Because I'm in Slytherin. Ali will never accept me now." Shyla choked out. She refused to cry in front of her Professor.

"Then show her you're still the same. A house shouldn't determine who your friends are. If I had known that when I was a kid, it would have saved me a _lot_ of trouble," Malfoy was relieved that Eva was the same age as Shyla. It made talking to the daughter of his rival a lot easier. "Slytherins don't give up that easily. If she still doesn't want to be friends, then let it go."

Shyla nodded and understood, but at the same time, she had reached her limit on touching stories. "Thanks, Professor..." She stood up to leave but turned back as she reached the door. "Um... Where do I go for detention tonight?"

Malfoy laughed, "You will meet in Filch's office. He is the caretaker at Hogwarts. I will have a prefect escort you there from the Great Hall once you are finished with dinner."

Shyla sighed and left her Head of House's office. Detention on her first day of school? Her mum was going to kill her.

* * *

After eating dinner by herself, Eva was obviously still bitter, Shyla was greeted by a Slytherin prefect. He introduced himself as Damien. Shyla sighed softly and nodded as she stood up. "I'm Shyla," she stated.

He scoffed, "I know."

She blushed and remained quiet until they were out of the Great Hall. "So... what year are you?" Shyla asked, twirling a section of her hair with her fingers.

Damien rolled his deep brown eyes at her. "I'm a sixth year."

"That's so cool! So, you've been here for like, ever." Shyla lightly bit her lip. She couldn't resist his good looks.

"Here's Filch's office. I wouldn't recommend getting detention so rapidly again." He opened the door and showed her in, ignoring her comment. He quickly left, closing the door behind him.

Shyla's face flushed when she saw Ali sitting in an old wooden chair.

Ali faced Shyla, her red hair was pulled back with a black ribbon. "Let's just get this over with," she said softly.

Shyla didn't allow her gaze to meet Ali's.

Filch coughed as he stood to instruct them. "You will both be polishing the floor in the Great Hall."

Shyla flushed, "But there are still people eating in there!" The last thing she wanted was to be known as the girl who polished the floor on the first day of classes.

Filch grinned a toothy, or lack there of, grin. "Well, then I suggest you don't get detention!" He handed them both a bucket filled with soapy water, a sponge, and a towel for drying.

Shyla and Ali followed Filch back to the Great Hall in silence. Once inside, he directed them to the corner near the Slytherin students and the teachers' table.

"Clean. I will sit and watch," Filch instructed, pointing at the floor. He removed a book from his robe, and began to read. It appeared to be a novel of sorts.

Shyla splashed some of the water onto the floor and began to scrub with the sponge. _Right next to the Slytherin table? This is ridiculous, _Shyla thought to herself.

The girls scrubbed in silence for the first bit, while chatter still filled the Great Hall. Finally, Ali broke the silence. "Look, I'm sorry I pulled your hair."

Shyla's face shot up and she stared at her cousin. "Can't we be friends, even in such different houses?"

Ali shrugged, "Grandmum is really firm on us keeping our distance."

Shyla glanced at Filch and lowered her voice. "Alisera, I can't believe you... At one point, NOTHING came between us. It was always Shyla and Ali. We were inseparable! And now! You're allowing Molly Weasley to decide we can't be friends?"

Ali blushed and turned away, scrubbing at the floor with more vigor. "Shy... I want to be friends... but it seems like you've changed since coming to Hogwarts."

Shyla rolled her eyes. "We've been here a mere 24 hours, and I've already had a resort forced upon me, detention, and lost my best friend. Yeah... I'm a little moody."

Ali frowned and averted her eyes.

The girls sat there in silence scrubbing the floor. The noise of the Great Hall surrounded them as students were finishing eating. Shyla looked at the professors' table to see Professor Malfoy eating. She admired him and his blunt honesty towards everyone. She recalled his advice from earlier in he day, and looked back at her cousin and best friend. Somehow she'd get her friend back.

It was a good thing that Filch was nearly deaf from his old age, otherwise the girls would have never gotten away with talking so much.

"Hey, Shyla!" Eva called over as she was leaving, "Don't forget what we told you." She smirked as she and Keelee left together.

Ali broke the silence, "What did she tell you?"

Shyla shook her head gently, "Nothing... Don't worry about it... Eva and Keelee are just being, well, Eva and Keelee."

"Oh," Ali replied. She dipped her sponge back into the water and wrung it out on the floor, "Eva seems kind of mean."

Shyla smirked, "Yeah, I guess."

"Then why do you hang out with her?"

"Eva's actually pretty cool. She just likes to have things her way." Shyla looked around the Great Hall, glad that students were beginning to leave. She scrubbed the floor halfheartedly, "Professor Malfoy seems really cool."

"Hardly," Ali scoffed, "I've heard that he is really unfair to Gryffindors. Besides, he wasn't very nice to you in class, today."

Shyla shrugged, "I really wasn't paying attention, and I answered his questions correctly, so I didn't mind."

"Do you think your dad really hated him?" Ali asked casually.

Shyla frowned, "Yes. A part of me feels like I'm not supposed to like him, because of my dad. But, I can't help it. He's the one person that has really been nice to me today. He didn't even yell at me for getting detention."

"I was scolded by a prefect." Ali groaned.

Shyla stiffled a laugh, glancing at Filch, "See, that's one of the many benefits to being a Slytherin. We are almost expected to get into some form of trouble. As if it's a right of passage."

"Aunt Hermione is going to murder you," Ali reminded.

Shyla grit her teeth, "Yeah, I know. It's not like your mum is going to be any happier."

Ali sighed and looked up at the enchanted ceiling. She lowered her voice to be nearly inaudible, "Are we still on for the lake tomorrow?"

Shyla dropped her sponge in the water out of shock. "Um... if you want to."

Ali nodded, "Let's do it."

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. With the Stanley Cup Finals going on, I will either post again on Tuesday, or Thursday. (Go Kings! ;-) ) Just as a reminder in case you missed it, I posted the Weasley family info on my profile page. Thanks for reading!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	9. I am not my mother!

**A/N: I am SO sorry I haven't updated like I said I would. I got really sick last week, and have finally been able to relax for an evening. This is an extra long chapter. I really like how it turned out! So enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: "I am not my mother!"**

Shyla woke up the next morning with her shoulders sore from scrubbing the floor. But she had to admit, the section that she and Ali had worked on looked quite nice. Filch didn't seem to agree, though, and verbalized his hope that someone else would get detention soon to finish the job.

Tuesday meant Herbology and Magical History. While she knew this should be a new start to actually behave, she was giddy with excitement to feed the lake monster in just a few nights. She just had to make it through the rest of the week.

Shyla didn't talk to Eva and Keelee the rest of the night. She felt no desire to be told that her mother had lied to her for the past 11 years. Shyla swallowed and began to feel a lump in her throat. Hogwarts was supposed to be this amazing place, where she would learn about magic with her cousins and make her mum proud. But nothing was going according to the plan that she saw in her head over and over again.

Sitting back on her bed she heard the soft mew of Wiskers. Shyla smiled and hugged her cat tightly, stroking him behind the ears and under his chin. Wiskers purred softly.

* * *

Hermione woke up with a start from one of her many nightmares that began after the great war. On mornings like this, she would typically climb into Shyla's bed and they would pretend to sleep until one of them would crack and admit she was hungry. It was silly, but to Hermione, it was one of those rituals that a mother would cherish forever.

Recalling that her daughter was at Hogwarts, she sighed and sauntered to the kitchen. Without Shyla there to make the small home lively, it was quiet. Hermione determined it was a good day to go visit her own mother.

After getting ready for the day, Hermione stepped into her fireplace and released a handful of powder, shouting "29th Bridger Avenue!" A bright green light emitted as she felt her stomach flip and flop until she silently arrived in another home.

"Hermione!" a woman called out. "How many times do I have to tell you to warn me before you do that!"

Hermione smiled. "But Mum, you also said not to be sending owls to deliver letters!"

Martha Granger sighed and hugged her daughter. "What brings you here, this morning?"

Hermione shrugged and picked at a piece of toast from a pile on the kitchen table. "I just felt like visiting you and Dad."

Her mum smiled, "Well, I am glad you came. Your father is out watering the garden, he should be in for breakfast in a few minutes. Would you like some?"

Hermione smiled, "Yeah, that sounds nice. Thanks, Mum."

John Granger walked into the kitchen wearing a gardening apron and green gloves. Hermione couldn't help but smile at his appearance.

"Mione!" He called out, "And what do we owe this pleasure to?"

Hermione shrugged and sat down at the kitchen table. "I just wanted to see my parents. Is that so strange?"

John laughed and hugged Hermione after removing his gardening attire. "As much I want to say, 'No darling, it's not strange.' It is..." John enjoyed teasing his daughter, because generally he got a rise out of her.

Hermione sighed, putting her face in her hands. "Shyla's Grandma Weasley is not being very understanding as of late."

"Ohh! How is my dear Shyla doing at Hogwarts?" Martha cried out.

Hermione scoffed. "Well, you remember how I was a Gryffindor, and our rivals were the Slytherins?"

John and Martha nodded.

Hermione laughed lightly in her attempt to hide her dismay. "Well, Shyla was sorted into Slytherin. And now, Molly is accusing Shyla of ruining their family blood, because every Weasley in history has been sorted into Gryffindor. While Shy isn't the only one. Well, the only one in Slytherin. But her cousin, Justin, Charlie's son, he was sorted into his mother's house, Ravenclaw. They are okay with Justin's sorting. But Shyla? No... Molly demanded a resort to be done. Oh! And Draco Malfoy is her head of house!"

John and Martha had sat at the table in the middle of Hermione's rant. They looked at each other, locking eyes in that way that parents speak silently. Martha broke the glance and looked at Hermione. "Malfoy? Was he the one you were always complaining about?"

Hermione laughed, "Yeah... You met him once. Summer before my second year, at Diagon Alley. He and his horrid father were there. He was the blond boy."

John cringed, "I almost didn't allow you to go back to Hogwarts after we encountered them."

Hermione sighed, "I don't blame you." She ran her fingers through her hair, fiddling with one of her wavy curls.

Martha smiled lightly, "I always thought you secretly liked him. You know, the way school boys are, always teasing and pestering the girl they fancy."

Hermione could not contain herself anymore and began to laugh. "Oh, please! Mum! No! We were friends for a very short time, but once the war was over, there was no reason to continue to pretend we were something that we could never really be. So... we went our separate ways." Hermione's gaze turned to the window, and she stared at nothing in particular.

Martha frowned. "What does your past with him have to do with Shyla being in his house?"

"The Weasleys hate him," she replied softly. "Ginny is always crying about Harry and Ron and when I told them about Draco being there in the last few weeks, she told me that she wishes he had died in their place. Now that Shyla is in his house, they blame me for not raising my daughter right, and letting her be who she wants to be."

"Did Ron like this Malfoy fellow?" John asked.

Hermione shook her head, "Never. They never accepted each other. Harry accepted Draco because he needed an ally, but I was the only one to ever consider him a friend. Ron always hated Draco, and Draco felt the same about Ron." She sighed while being lost in memories from so long ago.

"Shyla isn't like you, 'Mione," Martha finally said. "She grew up in the magic world, and you know she hated visiting us: the Muggle grandparents. We love her dearly. She is our only grandchild. But we always knew that Shyla would choose her own path. You were so young when you had her. Barely 18. I've been very pleased at how well you raised her for not having a husband, and for you never letting us help you out. We love you, Hermione. But Shyla wasn't exactly an expected occurrence. Especially since we didn't see you for over a year, and suddenly you had a baby."

Hermione began to cry. Her parents had never revealed their obviously disgruntled feelings for the way Hermione lived her life.

"Hermione..." John consoled, "We love you and Shyla, regardless of what house she is a part of in Hogwarts. We don't know much about Hogwarts, other than the little bit you told us, but know that all of that, it doesn't matter to us. We would have loved her even if she was non-magical."

Hermione nodded her thanks as she sobbed her stress into her father's shoulder.

* * *

Shyla sat in the History of Magic classroom. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. The Slytherins and Gryffindors shared this class session. Slytherins sat on the right of the room, and the Gryffindors on the left. Shyla sat alone today. Eva was still upset at her for wanting to be friends with Gryffindor students, and Ali was surrounded by her own housemates and Shyla didn't want to intrude. Besides, a Slytherin sitting on the Gryffindor side would have just been weird.

The room was brightly lit from the curtains pushed away from the large windows. A ghost resembling an old wizard with wrinkly, turtle-like skin floated through the wall. He sat to hover about 6 inches above his chair. He raised a hand, pushing his spectacles further up on his cloudy nose. Wispy hairs on his balding head shook as he called for attention. "Welcome to History of Magic, now please quiet down." His voice was shallow and dry.

Once the students had realized their professor was speaking, they stopped talking amongst themselves. In that same dull voice he introduced himself. "I am Professor Binns. I have been teaching at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for a very long time. It is very likely I taught your parents, and your grandparents, and your great-grandparents."

The warmth of the sun was flowing into the classroom through the large windows. Shyla looked around her to see several students' heads beginning to nod into a lull of sleep. She understood how they felt. Professor Binns' voice was like a music box that no one wanted to listen to. It wasn't melodic or pretty, but it made people feel warm and calm, and well, it was really rather boring to listen to.

As Shyla felt her eyelids drift closed she shot her hand in the air. She couldn't take this bore any longer.

Professor Binns stopped mid-sentance and turned to looked in her direction. "Yes?"

"I was told we would talk about the war in here," Shyla said quickly. She felt revived already.

Binns scratched his ghostly head and sighed, "What's your name, Miss?"

"Shyla Granger," she replied.

"Granger?" He asked. "That makes sense. You look a lot like your mother. She fought with Harry Potter."

Shyla nodded, "That's correct. My mum is Hermione Granger."

Binns replied with a nod. "And yes, we will be discussing the Wizarding War. But not until the later part of the course." Shyla sighed as Binns continued to ramble on about what he expected of the students, and what the course would bring.

When it was finally time to leave the class, Shyla felt incredibly relieved. She wasn't sure how much more she could take.

The first year Slytherins decided to walk to Herbology together. They looked much more intimidating when they were all grouped up, at least they thought they did. The sun appeared to be brighter than normal that day, leaving very few areas untouched by the glistening rays.

Shyla allowed her gaze to wander and absorb her surroundings. Then she saw it. The Quidditch Pitch. It was like the sun was directing the majority of its light onto this spot. Beckoning her to take a closer look. She swallowed hard, forcing down the raise of excitement. "When are Quidditch tryouts?" She suddenly asked her housemates.

Eva scoffed, "Don't even attempt it, Shy. First years never get spots on the Quidditch teams."

Shyla looked at Eva and rolled her eyes. "Doesn't mean that I can't try."

Keelee grinned and quickly interjected. "Shyla, was your _father_good at Quidditch?"

Shyla laughed before she realized what Keelee was doing. "No, he was awful."

Keelee smirked and Shyla cringed. "I think you should try out then. It won't hurt anyone..." Eva nodded in agreement to the new plan.

Shyla quickened her pace to avoid the scheming girls.

Inside the greenhouse there were several Hufflepuff students who had already arrived. Shyla was the first Slytherin. She cringed at the site of her uncle, Neville Longbottom. She had forgotten that he was the professor.

Neville smiled at the sight of Shyla and called her over. "I hope your day is going better."

Shyla forced a fake smile and nodded.

He smiled awkwardly and scratched his head covered in floppy hair. "You know, your mother's first few months at Hogwarts were really hard. She had a tough time making friends. So, take your time. It will get better."

Shyla bit the inside of her cheek. Neville had always been nice to her and she didn't want to ruin that. Considering his wife was such a demon. "Thanks," she said softly. Shyla was getting really tired of being compared to her mum. She was nothing like Hermione Granger.

As class droned on, Shyla fiddled with the leaves of a plant in the corner. She assumed it wasn't dangerous, considering there was no warning label, like some of the other plants had. She really did try to focus, but was finding she had reached her limit for learning. Her stomach rumbled and she was more glad than ever that lunch was next.

"I will be working with Professor Malfoy on a project next month, so Slytherins, be prepared for that," Neville said as he was wrapping up the introduction lecture.

The Slytherins smirked in approval while many of the Hufflepuffs turned a pearly shade of white. Shyla liked the fact that the Hufflepuff students were so intimidated by the Slytherins. It meant that she had at least a little bit of control in such a large school.

"Well, enjoy your lunch. And I will see everyone on Thursday," Neville said as students began filing out of the greenhouse. "Be prepared to learn!" The Slytherin students laughed at the last statement. Shyla tried to remain polite until she left the hot and sticky plant domain.

She didn't care for plants. They were rather boring in Shyla's perspective. As much as she liked her Uncle Neville, he was rather boring. Because, mostly, he just talked about plants.

Eva and Keelee joined Shyla at the Slytherin table. The girls sat on either side of Shyla to prohibit her from escaping.

Just as Shyla was about to bite into a large meatball sandwich, Eva interjected. "Shy, I'm sorry I was so inconsiderate to not take your feelings into the matter on trying out for the Quidditch team. I could, you know, talk to my father for you. He _is _our Head of House, he makes all the final decisions on who makes the team."

Shyla rolled her eyes, "Eva, I know what you are up to, and right now, I really don't care who my father is or was, or even wasn't right now.

Eva smirked, "Well, when you're done pretending to be a Weasley, let me know. It's really not a big deal."

Shyla ignored the gossip and rumors that surrounded her during the rest of the lunch. Even with Keelee and Eva remaining on either side of her.

"Shyla, I heard your mum was a goody-two-shoes Gryffindor," Mac Davis stated. He was a second year Slytherin boy with black floppy hair and dark brown eyes. "My aunt went to school in the same years she did, and said that Hermione Granger was a Muggle born, and that she was one of those girls who always had to be right, and the top of her class."

Keelee laughed lightly at Mac's comments.

Shyla just glared at him. "What about it?"

Mac glared back. "Are you sure you're in the right house? After all, there is a rumor going around that a Slytherin girl was forced to be resorted. Would that be you, Shyla?"

"Mac, shut up!" Shyla snapped, "I am NOT my mother, I am nothing like her!" Shyla paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, WHY were you talking to your aunt about me and my mum?"

Mac blushed and several Slytherins laughed at his expense.

* * *

After lunch, the Slytherin first years met outside, due to the perfect weather and the lack of classes for the remainder of the day. They sat around on the grass, lounging under the sun. They found themselves chatting cheerfully, and even played a few games of exploding snap. Shyla always loved playing the game with her cousins, and gotten quite competent at it. Keelee let out a shriek as a card exploded in front of her. The Slytherins laughed as the girl withdrew herself from the game.

"Come on Keels! It's not that bad!" Shyla teased.

"Oh! Says you, miss 'I never lose!'" Keelee replied, braiding her long hair to escape the heat.

The following days flew by, and before Shyla knew it, it was Friday. Surprisingly, she had even managed to stay out of trouble. Friday classes were Charms in the morning, with Astronomy in the afternoon.

Charms was another lesson full of introductions and expectations. The class was shared with Ravenclaws again. The course was taught by Professor Lanny, a middle aged witch with long, silver hair. It glistened in the sunlight, as she pranced around the classroom with excitement. It was obvious that Lanny loved the art of Charms. She used her hands whenever she spoke, which seemed to cause trouble wherever she walked. The other Slytherins made fun of Professor Lanny's nature. Shyla said nothing. At one point during the lecture, Shyla found herself wondering why her mum had been placed into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, with how smart she is. But it was merely a passing thought.

Slytherins had Astronomy with Hufflepuffs. Shyla briefly thought back to the book Grandpa Granger had given her for her birthday. She had only cracked the cover once, and it was only for a few moments, before something else caught her attention. Did Muggles have the same Astronomy as Wizards? Now she almost wished she had read the book.

Astronomy was taught by a short, chubby man with a long brown beard, and tiny spectacles. He almost looked like a dwarf from the book her mum had read to her. He introduced himself as Professor Higgins, but Shyla's head was screaming at her to call him Gimli, after the dwarf from stories. With every ounce of self control, Shyla kept her mouth shut the remainder of the lesson. It was going to be a long year.

After dinner, Shyla anxiously waited for midnight to arrive. She wanted desperately to prove to her cousins that she was still the same Shyla Granger that they grew up with. As she pretended to be asleep in her warm bed, which was rather enticing, Shyla recalled the past couple of days. They were decent. She didn't get into any fights and Mac avoided her like the plague. Even during meals, he kept himself from catching her gaze.

Friday had been fun. Shyla, Eva, Keelee, Lydia, and Savannah gathered before dinner to spend more time out doors, exploring the grounds. They talked about their families, and homes. Lydia had wizard family members in Japan, and Eva lived in a mansion. Shyla was silently jealous of both. Keelee's life was privileged, but her parents were never around. Her life was full of broken promises and missed birthdays. Savannah mostly went on and on about boys in her life back home.

It was 11:36pm. Shyla sighed softly and decided she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her satchel where she hid some food from dinner. Mostly rolls and some cheese, but she managed to snag a few cupcakes. Shyla looked at her classmates. Eva was curled up in her blankets, and Keelee was sprawled out across the bed. Shyla laughed. Savannah looked all dainty and cute as she slept. And then there was Lydia. Lydia snored every night so far. When Eva complained to an older girl, they taught her the spell _muffliato._It worked perfectly. As beautiful as Lydia was, she could really snore.

11:39pm. _'Ugh... it's only been three stupid minutes! That's it! I'm leaving early!' _Shyla finally told herself silently. She was far too excited to wait any longer. She slipped from her bed and tiptoed to the door, leaving her shoes by her bed. Her uncles, Fred and George, had explained to the children that if they were to be sneaking around, which of course they would never encourage, but if they did, they should not wear shoes. "They aren't worth the noise they make," Fred explained.

The common room was empty, and the fire had been extinguished. As she left the portrait of the princess with a cat on her lap, she placed a finger to her lips, she felt rather silly doing this. The cat looked at Shyla briefly, but returned its grey head to her mistress' lap. The princess smiled and nodded in a way to indicate she understood. After all, she was the portrait for the Slytherin house. Shyla would have been very surprised if Slytherins stayed put at night.

The dungeon was dark, but Shyla had excellent eye sight at night, so she walked as if it was day. Except now she was extremely cautious, even peaking around corners. It wasn't long until she had reached the main floor of Hogwarts. Being in the dungeons had that advantage.

Shyla's heart sunk when she spied a student standing in front of the doors to the grounds. For a brief moment she considered turning back and calling defeat. But when she saw who it was, she nearly cried out in joy. It was Victor Weasley, her cousin. He must have been scouting ahead, since he was the oldest of the Weasley cousins. Shyla quickly went to his side, where he jumped from excitement.

"Shyla!" Victor whispered harshly, "Don't do that!" He rolled his eyes at his young cousin, and opened the door slightly for her, "You go out first, we'll all be there shortly."

Shyla nodded and slipped between the large doors and began running across the cool grass. It felt nice on her bare feet. Knowing her cousins were on their way made Shyla grin from the anticipation of the night ahead of her.

The lake was perfectly still, capturing an image of the sky above it. Shyla had a hard time believing there was a monster living in such a beautiful lake. She sat down in the grass, setting her satchel beside her. The air was still warm on her skin. As she closed her eyes she heard feet in the grass behind her.

Ali sat down next to Shyla and wrapped her arms around Shyla's shoulders in a hug. "This is perfect. I'm so glad you suggested feeding the lake monster."

Shyla smiled. She had missed her best friend more than she could, or was willing to, explain to any of the Slytherin girls.

James and Thomas soon joined them, followed by Victor and Chloe.

"Where's Justin?" Shyla asked, seeing as he was the only one missing.

James shrugged, "He didn't want to come. Said something about getting in trouble."

Shyla nodded. That was how Justin was: cautious. He usually watched their games, instead of becoming involved. "Well, we should get started." She opened her bag and pulled out a cupcake with bright pink frosting.

Ali squealed, "It's perfect!"

Thomas agreed to have the honors of the first feeding. He took the cupcake from Shyla and walked to the water's edge. As his arm raised over his head, and his hand released the cupcake, letting it land with a 'plop' into the lake, the other cousins cheered. Shyla and Ali even danced together.

"I wouldn't become too excited," a voice said from behind them. "After all, it appears all of you will be having detention for a week."

Shyla cringed and stepped away from Ali. She recognized that voice. She heard it nearly every day.

Professor Malfoy was standing in the dark, his arms folded over his chest, and he did not look amused.

The Weasley children all turned to Shyla and placed a glare on her that would have made You-Know-Who flush. Ali turned her eyes downward after a moment and tears formed in her hazel eyes.

This was not how it was supposed to be! Shyla had planned everything. They were going to sneak out, feed the monster, celebrate, she and Ali would rekindle their friendship, they would sneak back in, no one would know, but they would all be nice to her from then on. Professor Malfoy was not supposed to be there.

Shyla picked up her satchel as bubbles began to float to the top of the lake. Victor pulled Thomas away from the water as two giant, yet beady eyes appeared at the surface.

"Let's go. All of you!" Professor Malfoy demanded. As the children turned their backs to the lake, he smirked playfully. "Let's see now, that would be five Gryffindors? Fifteen points from each student; ten for being out after night, and five for disturbing the lake monster. That totals 75 points taken from Gryffindor, and 15 from Slytherin."

The Weasleys groaned and shot darts of hatred at Shyla, but knew that arguing would only result in them losing more points for their house.

Whenever one of the Weasleys looked back to the lake, they received a smack to the back of the head from Malfoy. Chloe consoled Ali as they walked back to the castle. Shyla really wished she had her shoes now. The grass felt much colder this time, and the walk seemed to be taking an enormously long time.

The group started heading up the stairs of Hogwarts. It was obvious that Malfoy was taking the Gryffindors back first, and then he would deal with Shyla.

Shyla swallowed heavily as they reached the Gryffindor Head of House's office and living quarters. She had heard about Professor Lindbergh from the older Weasley children. The man that answered the knock was a tall and gangly, with long, curly brown hair, and a small beard. "Draco, what can I do for you?" He asked as he placed his thick framed glasses on his slender nose.

"It appears some of your students, all Weasleys, infact, decided it was a good idea to feed the monster in the Great Lake tonight." Malfoy said as he handed off the Gryffindors. "I have taken 15 house points from each of them, but if you find it fit, they will serve detention with the house elves tomorrow."

Lindbergh nodded. "That is fair." He looked down at the Weasleys, and all their red hair. "Let's go back to the tower."

Shyla watched her supposed cousins leave. They adverted their eyes from hers, keeping up with Lindbergh's stride. Once they were out of sight, Malfoy turned to Shyla.

"Why?" was all he asked as they started back down the stairs.

Shyla flushed and looked at the cold floor. She finally replied when they had already descended two floors."I wanted them to forgive me for being a Slytherin."

She heard a sigh escape Professor Malfoy's lips, and she fought back tears. "Shyla, you can't keep getting detention."

She nodded and choked slightly, "I know."

"What can we do to remedy this situation?" He asked softly.

Shyla shrugged. "I'm trying, I really am. I just... I don't know where I belong anymore..." She couldn't take it any longer. Warm tears flowed down her smooth cheeks.

Malfoy shifted nervously as they walked. Even with a daughter of his own, he had a hard time dealing with emotional girls. "Let's go get some tea, before I send you back to bed."

* * *

**A/N: There it is! Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far. Do you like where it is headed? Things you don't like? Do like? I really like feedback, so pretty please! ;) Look for another chapter on Saturday!**

**~PurplePygmyPuff**


	10. Starting Over

******A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I had a super busy week with my internship, and just got quite behind. _ Also, it looks like I will be needing a new Beta Reader, since mine seems to be MIA... If anyone would be interested in getting early access, send me a PM with your background to doing Beta, and a sample of your writing. Thanks! Now for story! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Starting Over**

"Shyla! Wake up!" Shyla felt a hand push her gently, she rolled over ignoring it.

"Seriously, Shy!" another voice called. "You're going to miss breakfast if you don't wake up soon!"

Shyla slowly opened her eyes to see her four roommates looming over her. "What time is it?"

Eva sat herself onto Shyla's bed and tucked her feet under her. "8:45. The food stops being placed at 9:15."

"Why are you so tired?" Lydia finally asked, "We all went to bed at the same time."

Shyla sat up and shrugged, "Couldn't sleep I guess."

"Well, we all want to go hang out at the lake today. It's beautiful outside." Eva explained, "Hurry and get dressed so we can go."

Shyla cringed. She wanted to go, she really did. "I can't. I have detention..." She hated having to admit it.

The girls stared at her. "Seriously?" Keelee coughed. Shyla nodded in reply.

"Shy!" Eva yelled, "That's twice in the first week of school! What did you do this time?"

Shyla shook her head as she climbed out of bed. "Don't worry about it. I'll come to the lake if I finish before too long."

Shyla was escorted to the kitchens by Professor Malfoy. Professor Lindbergh was already there with the Weasleys. They looked miserable, and angry. Shyla dreaded it now more than ever. The kitchen was crowded with house elves and mountains of dishes.

"Is that my help?" an old, wrinkled elf asked.

Malfoy nodded as Lindbergh bid goodbye. "They are to obey every order. If there is any problem, you are to notify me, and I will deal with them from there." He turned to the students, "You will obey Sneezles, and if you do not, I will allow Headmistress McGonagall to determine what further punishments shall be taken. You are here until Sneezles says you are through. Is that understood?"

The Weasleys said nothing, and Shyla only nodded.

Malfoy left Sneezles to do as he pleased. Sneezles smiled slyly. "Names!" His voice squeaked.

The Weasley children introduced themselves, and when it came to Shyla she sighed in a way that made her appear uninterested in Sneezle's line of work. "Shyla Granger."

"Granger?" Sneezles questioned.

Shyla rolled her eyes. "Yes, my mum is Hermione Granger." She was growing tired of being known for her mother's smarts and position in the war next to Harry 'Stinkin' Potter.

There was a sudden outburst among the house elves. In particular, a small one, that Shyla could only guess was female, ran up to her and stuck her long, slender finger out and pointed at Shyla with anger, "We don't want your hats!" The elf shouted at the surprised first year.

"Why would I give you a hat?" Shyla shouted back. She was seriously, having a shouting match with a two-foot-tall elf.

"Just don't get any ideas! We like it at Hogwarts! And you can't force us away!" The elf fumed, her big green eyes filling with anger.

"Don't get mad at me for anything my mum and her friends did to you!" Shyla demanded.

"Lovey!" Sneezles ordered, "Leave the girl alone, and get back to work. I will keep a sharp eye on this one. And mark my word, she will not be tricking you into accepting any clothes under my watch!"

Shyla was highly confused. What _had_ her mother done to these creatures?

Sneezles quickly put the children to their tasks. Shyla was scrubbing dishes, and unfortunately working directly next to Ali, who was drying them. Shyla could no longer take the silence. She hated fighting with her cousin. Whether or not they were blood related, Ali was still her cousin, and up until 5 days ago, her best friend.

"Ali?" Shyla whispered. "Can't we talk about this?"

Ali glared at Shyla, "What is there to talk about?"

"Al' I swear to you, I didn't anticipate Professor Malfoy catching us." Shyla pleaded, as she pretended to wash a plate embellished with gold leaves.

"Right! Because you, being a Slytherin, and convincing a bunch of Gryffindors to meet you at the Great Lake, resulting in the SLYTHERIN head of house catching us out after hours, is just a huge coincidence." Ali accused. "Shyla, I talked with the others. And we really don't care if your Weasley blood or not. You've changed since coming to Hogwarts. They don't think I should hang out with you anymore. I've had detention twice already, and both are your fault."

"You were rude to me, and then fought back in Flying Lessons! You came up with the idea to go to the Great Lake to feed the monster." Shyla snapped, "I just played out the idea, because I wanted to make up with my family! But I'm starting to think maybe I'm not a Weasley at all!"

Victor obviously overheard the girls' argument, and decided to interject. "Look, Shyla. I heard my dad talking this summer, and he said that your mum just showed up, after a year, with you in arms! There has never any proof except for your mother's word that you are a Weasley. But now that the adults know that your mum lied about being friends with your dear head of house, Draco Malfoy, they don't know what to believe anymore. You might as well be a complete stranger. Because chances that you are Ron Weasley's daughter are looking pretty slim."

Shyla dropped a dish into the warm, soapy water. She had thought about the possibility of not being a Weasley all her life. The lack of red hair made the other children curious. But Shyla liked that she didn't have red hair. She liked being different. But when Victor said it, it sounded so much more real, and as if they really didn't want her to be related to them. Her eyes began to burn, from the lack of sleep, and the stress that was now looming over her so dauntingly. "If that's how you want it, then fine. I am done being your cousin. And I am certainly done being your friend. I tried to fix things, but obviously you are too stuck on house differences to care about what I think. And you know, I am certainly glad now that I am NOT in Gryffindor. I would rather be in Slytherin, where there aren't any Weasleys!"

Shyla stayed silent the remainder of the detention. Even through her break, where she was allowed to eat a bit of lunch, she said nothing. It was a long five hours.

At three in the afternoon, Sneezles released the children from their duties. "That's enough. I am annoyed with you being here. I'll report to Professor Malfoy that you fulfilled your duties."

Shyla quickly took off the wet apron that hung from her slender neck. She placed it on a hook, where she then took her school robe and put it on. It was a long in the sleeves, because Hermione thought it would be best to allow room for growing. Right now, Shyla didn't care about growing room. In spite of everything, she was glad to be done in time to go hang out with Eva and Keelee, even if they did find it amusing to get her worked up and upset about her family prospects.

Shyla's eyes were assaulted by beams of light as she pushed past the large wooden doors. The air was warm against her face, and she wished briefly that she didn't have to wear a black robe.

As she neared the Great Lake, she began to become overly aware of a growing stench. A stench so vile, it would make a troll's breath smell like daffodils and daisies. Eva and Keelee ran up to her, holding their noses.

"Granger, you do NOT want to go that way!" Keelee announced. Her voice was distorted from the desire to not remove her hand from plugging her nose.

"Why? What is that smell?" Shyla was beginning to wish she hadn't been able to go outside today.

Eva scrunched her face in discontent. "Something died at the lake. Well, maybe not died, but it should be dead with that sort of stench coming from it. That giant oaf, whatever his name is, and Professor Lovegood are cleaning it up now. I dare say they better get a hurry on it. Malfoys have been attending Hogwarts for generations, and we should not be tormented with such smells."

Shyla smirked, "Yeah... about that... You know how I had detention today?"

Eva stared at Shyla with disbelief.

"What?" Keelee shouted, forgetting about her nose. "You caused this?"

Shyla smiled softly, "Well... yeah... The lake monster can't have dairy..."

"Why did you not invite us?" Eva accused.

Shyla shrugged. "I was trying to get the Weasleys to like me again." Before Eva could interrupt she continued, "But I am done with them! For good! I am completely ready to accept that I am not a Weasley, never was, and never will be."

Keelee hugged Shyla excitedly. "Yay! I am so glad you are over that! I like you too much to wish that upon you!"

The hug surprised Shyla, but she accepted it and smiled. She was happy to have made new friends, yet overwhelmingly sad that it took losing her best friend, and cousin, to get to be friends with Eva and Keelee. Plus, Eva was a Malfoy. Malfoys had power in their name throughout the wizarding world. It could prove to be handy. "So, what should we do now?" Shyla asked once Keelee released her from the hug.

Eva shrugged, "Quidditch tryouts for Slytherin are going on. We could go watch those?"

"Boys?" Keelee exclaimed, "Let's go!" Shyla nodded in agreement to the idea. Anything to get them away from the lake. A part of her thought she should go to the lake, and see if Hagrid and Luna needed any help. But a bigger part of her feared that they too would hate her.

At the Quidditch pitch, the girls sat in the stands and watched their housemates. They weren't the only girls watching the boys race on their brooms.

"I wish I could try out." Shyla said in passing. Not really meaning anyone else to hear. Growing up as an only child, she often said things aloud, which she only meant to think.

"You should." Eva said firmly.

"No! I'm a first year! Do they even allow first years to try out?" Shyla protested.

"Shyla, dear, you seem to forget who my father is. He is not only head of house, but also, a Malfoy. If I were to talk to him, he would be sure to give you a chance." Eva explained.

"Shy, you really should try out. Maybe it will help you figure out who your father is." Keelee encouraged.

Shyla didn't reply as she watched the young wizards flying on their brooms. '_It would be cool to play as a first year...'_ Shyla thought to herself.

* * *

"Professor Malfoy?" Shyla asked as she entered her head-of-house's office.

"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" Malfoy replied, setting down his quill.

"I wanted to talk to you about playing Quidditch." Shyla stated firmly.

Malfoy eyed her carefully, "Typically first years don't make the team, or their head-of-house won't allow it."

"I watched the tryouts today, and I'm telling you, I am better than half of them! I know I can do well for the Slytherin team!" She argued.

Malfoy sighed, "I'm not sure. You've had a rough start this year. I think you should focus on staying out of trouble."

Shyla smirked, "That's just it." She explained as she sat across from his desk. "Being on the Quidditch team WILL keep me out of trouble. It will allow me to bond with my fellow Slytherins. I'll stop trying to hang out with Gryffindors. Plus, I will be so busy with practice and homework, that I won't have time to get in trouble!"

Malfoy laughed lightly and looked around his dimly lit office. "Look, I can't make any guarantees, but I will talk to Payton Jones. If he agrees to give a first year a try out, then you're on your own."

Shyla beamed. "Thank you! You won't regret this!" She stood up and headed for the door leading to the dungeon halls.

"Shyla?" Malfoy added, "Are you SURE you're even a Granger?"

She smiled and laughed a little, "That I know, at the very least, is true. Why?"

He shook his head, "You're just a lot different from your mother as a first year."

"I can only imagine."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review! (Please?) Oh, and if you missed it up top, I am looking for a new Beta Reader. PM me if you're interested! :D Thanks again!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	11. Moving Forward

**A/N: I am so sorry it has been this long since my last update! Life got extremely busy and hectic. BUT I am finished with my internship, and have a lot of free time now. Thank you so much for your reviews and kind messages. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Moving Forward**

Shyla left Professor Malfoy's office with a skip to her step. Eva and Keelee were waiting in the hall for her.

"So?" Keelee and Eva exclaimed together.

Shyla smirked, "He'll get me a try out."

Keelee squealed, and Eva smirked back.

"Good. Otherwise I would have had to blackmail my own father or something." Eva admitted.

"Now, let's go back to the common room. We have to figure out options of who your father is." Keelee announced, taking Shyla by the arm. Shyla really didn't understand why Keelee was so obsessed with the idea of a secret father, but she played along. It was nice to be smiling.

In the common room, the girls took over a small square table in a corner. Eva removed a quill and sheet of parchment from her satchel, setting it on the table. "Now," She started, "Name everyone that your mum has dated."

Shyla laughed lightly, "Dated? Ha! I don't know if she ever dated anyone..."

Eva rolled her eyes, "Think, Granger. You didn't just appear out of nowhere, your mum obviously got close to someone."

"Oh! I know!" Shyla gasped, portraying innocence. "Your dad!"

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about, Shyla?" Eva demanded.

Shyla smirked, "Think about it. Our parents were secret friends."

Eva stared at the girl next to her. "Says who?"

"I heard my mum talking about it, and Professor Malfoy confirmed it." Shyla replied, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail. "You could be my long lost sister." Shyla teased.

Keelee giggled, "I can see the resemblance now!" She flipped Eva's hair playfully.

Eva glared at Keelee, before turning her attention to Shyla, "We, you and me, we are not sisters. I am the only heir to the Malfoy name. You're just trying to get some pure-blood status."

Shyla rolled her eyes this time, "That's about as good of a guess I have about who my father is. It could be anyone. For all I know, it's Harry Potter."

Keelee clapped her hands with excitement, "I have an idea!"

"As long as it doesn't risk getting any more detentions, I'm in." Shyla shrugged, giving in.

"Oh, it just requires you getting a spot on the Quidditch team. No big deal, right?" Keelee said innocently.

"Trust me, I have this." Shyla smirked.

Hermione had finally been getting used to an empty apartment when she got home from working at the Ministry. Even after a mere week, she found herself standing in the doorway to Shyla's bedroom on more than one occasion, always feeling silly afterward. Hermione had been attempting to find new things to do, and people to see.

Just earlier that day, she had been going to the cafeteria at the Ministry. Katie Weasley was meeting her for lunch, just to enjoy each others company, and not have to worry about family drama.

"Hey, Katie." Hermione smiled, hugging her sort-of sister-in-law. "How have you been?"

Katie smiled, returning the hug. "Good, Hermione, thank you. How are you holding up?"

Hermione laughed and shrugged, "Well, I got word that Shyla has already had detention this week. First week, that must be a record."

"It's Friday, and Monday will be a fresh start." Katie replied optimistically. "Besides, my daughter was right there with yours."

As they continued their way through the Ministry halls, a tall man with dark hair approached Hermione and grasped her hand in his. "Hermy-own-ninny?" He asked with excitement.

Hermione smiled broadly. As soon as she heard the pronunciation of her name, there was no mistaking who this was. "Viktor." She replied gently. "What are you doing here?"

Viktor Krum smiled and kissed her hand, "Vou look... vonderful."

Hermione blushed and smiled back at him. It had been a long time since she had seen Viktor outside of a magazine or newspaper. "Thank you. You look great too." She shook her head, getting rid of the school girl thoughts that filled her mind. He was handsome. The pictures in the tabloids did him no justice. His shoulders had broadened slightly, and his face sported a beard, that suit him well. "Seriously, what are you doing at the Ministry?" She asked again.

Viktor nodded, "Right. I vas here, vor an interview vith the Daily Prophet." He looked at his watch with disappointment and sighed. "Invact, I must go. Hermy-own-ninny? Say vou vill meet me vor dinner."

Hermione knew it was meant as a question, but it still came out as more of an obvious request. None-the-less, she nodded. "Yes, where?"

He grinned, "I vill owl vou." He bowed to Hermione and nodded politely to Katie as he took his leave.

As Viktor walked away, Katie gushed, "Hermione! That was Viktor Krum!"

Hermione blushed and smiled, "Oh, I know. It's been so long since I saw him last."

The two walked to the dining hall together, Katie smiling at the encounter with the famous seeker, and Hermione just glad that she didn't draw a lot of attention to herself.

The women sat at a small table across from each other, with their food in front of them. Katie smiled softly at Hermione, "I am really glad you are going out with Viktor. Now that Shyla is in Hogwarts, you really should date occasionally."

Hermione nodded, "I was thinking the same thing. But I really can't get my hopes up about Viktor. He's a wonderful man, but I can honestly say it's been about twelve years since I last saw him."

Katie understood, "Bill and Fleur's wedding, right? I remember seeing a picture of him there. He looked so handsome."

Suddenly, Hermione laughed. "Ron was completely jealous! I danced with Viktor that night, and I honestly thought Ron was going to pummel him."

Katie laughed too, "That sounds like Ron." She smiled sweetly, "What are you going to wear?"

Hermione's face flushed, "I have no idea."

* * *

It would have been a lie for Hermione to not say she was excited. It had been a long time since she had been on a date. In fact, her last date had been set up by Bill and Charlie. Four years before, they had set Hermione up with their friend Alex. He was a nice, handsome American wizard. Bill worked with him at Gringotts, and they quickly bonded. While Hermione was extremely flattered, and enjoyed Alex's company, he was only in London temporarily. She never introduced him to Shyla, in fear that Shy would become attached, just to have Alex leave the country. Even if they were wizards, and could easily apparate, it just didn't seem right.

Hermione flattened the front of her dress for what seemed to be the hundredth time. It was a knee length red dress with an overlay of black lace. She had put her hair into delicate ringlets, and wore neutral makeup. She smiled, once again looking into the full length mirror in her bedroom. Her stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. It felt good to be nervous. Swallowing quickly, she walked to her fireplace, and took a handful of floo powder. Closing her eyes, she stepped into the oversized fireplace and through down the powder, shouting her parent's address. From there, she would take a Muggle cab.

"Hermione, honestly!" Her dear mother shrieked.

"Sorry, Mum. I forgot to phone." Hermione apologized, kissing her mother's cheek.

"You look beautiful, 'Mione." Her father noticed. "Special occasion tonight?"

Hermione smiled softly and nodded. "I... have a date." She laughed, it sounded so strange.

Martha grinned and hugged her daughter, "Oh, that is wonderful! Do we know him?"

"You've seen pictures of him... If you remember Viktor Krum." She smiled, checking the time. "I went to the Yule Ball with him in my fourth year."

John hugged Hermione. "That's great. It's about time you started dating again." He enjoyed teasing her.

"Dad!" Hermione protested, blushing. "I wish I could stay longer, but we are meeting at a restaurant about fifteen minutes away."

"Do you need a ride?" Martha insisted, reaching for her hand bag.

She shook her head, "Thank you, but no. I will take a cab. I already called one."

"John, dear, get her some money for the cab. Hermione, if you need, you can stay in your old room. I know it's only a _fireplace _away, but it would be nice to have breakfast with you in the morning."

Hermione smiled at her mum, accepting the money from her father. "That sounds nice, Mum. If I wouldn't be intruding?" It was hard to say no to her mum when she looked so hopeful. Besides, it was only one night.

"Nonsense! You're our daughter!" John laughed, "Now, go catch your cab. I will leave the back door unlocked for you."

Hermione kissed her parents and bid them goodbye. Outside the home she grew up in, a taxi cab was waiting patiently. She gave the man the address and name of the restaurant as she climbed in.

She was only five minutes early when she arrived at the small Chinese restaurant. It was a small upscale place, with authentic Chinese food. Hermione was surprised that Viktor had known about it in the first place.

Hermione was pleased to see that Viktor was already there, waiting for her. "Hello." She said politely, smiling as he kissed her hand. Always a gentleman.

"I am glad vou found it." He said, flashing a smile.

Hermione nodded as she sat in the chair that Viktor presented to her. "Yes, it is actually fairly close to my parents' house." She adjusted her dress, smoothing it on her lap and smiled at the man in front of her. "I am curious though, how did you know about this place?"

He smiled back as the waiter poured Hermione a glass of white wine. "I like to come here. It is very nice to visit a place vhere vou are not the center of attention."

Hermione understood. After all, she had been one of Harry Potter's best friends. He hated that he was always being watched and judged. They ordered their meals, and began to nibble on an appetizer of Spring Rolls.

"I visited China once." Hermione said casually, striking up conversation. Viktor watched her as if she was the only thing that would ever interest him. "It was for work, a Hungarian Horntail was spotted wandering the countryside. I went along to be sure no muggles had encountered it."

"Which department do vou work in again?" He asked.

"Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures ." She took another bite of her spring roll and a sip of her wine.

"Vat is a mouth-vul." Viktor teased. He reached across the table for Hermione's hand. It was then that a flash of light encompassed the two.

Hermione's head snapped to see an aging woman dressed in green whispering maniacally. "You!" She shouted.

"Skeeter! Vhat var vou doing here?" Viktor demanded.

Rita Skeeter cackled. She had aged since Hermione had last seen her, but she was still as vial as ever. "The reacquainted love birds were holding hands while they nibbled on appetizers. Miss Hermione Granger, as you will remember was once the lover of the late Harry Potter."

That was all it took. Hermione stormed towards Skeeter. "You vile witch! After 15 years, one would think you learned your lesson! Or do I need to remind you of what it feels like to live in a jar?"

Skeeter gave a sound of pure joy. "It proves that Miss Granger, who _never_ married, still has her trademark temper." She turned and gave a sly smile to Viktor, "The ever so popular quidditch star, Viktor Krum, appears to be smitten by Granger, but only the heavens know why."

"Vou vill leave this place at vonce!" Viktor demanded.

Hermione took a deep breath, and placed her hand on his arm, "Let's go." She wasn't willing to stick around, even if Viktor decided he was going to.

As the two began to leave the restaurant, placing enough money to cover the appetizers and wine on the table, Skeeter called after them, "Oh, Krum! You really should learn to cover your tracks better! You make it far to easy to follow you!" She laughed again, her wrinkling hands fanning her face.

* * *

Hermione sat at the kitchen table in her parents' home, eating ice cream directly from the carton. She didn't want to disturb her parents, seeing as they were not expecting her back for a couple hours at the least. She felt like such a child again.

"Hermione?" She heard her father call, "Is that you?"

She allowed the ice cream in her mouth to melt, and then replied, "Yeah, Dad. I'm in the kitchen."

He flipped on the light, and sighed, "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"I didn't want to disturb you or Mum..." She stated, taking another spoonful from the carton.

He grabbed a spoon from the door and sat down next to his daughter. "What happened with your date?"

Hermione handed him the ice cream, allowing her dad to take a spoonful. "It was a disaster!" She surprised herself when she started to laugh. "Oh, Dad... Viktor was wonderful, he always is. But that horrid Skeeter woman showed up, and ruined everything."

"Mmm... I love mint chocolate chip..." He finally said. "But, in all honesty dear, I don't know a lot about the Wizarding World. Is she the one that gave you trouble while in school?"

She nodded back. "You have no idea! I had my reasons for slowly allowing the world to know about Shyla." She shuddered. "This woman twists EVERYTHING... She is truly horrid."

John laughed lightly, "If this guy is as great as you say he is, he'll take you out again."

She stood from the table and kissed her father on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad. I think I'm going to go talk to Mum, and then watch some television." That was one Muggle-esque thing she enjoyed doing after a rough day, watching television. Even being surrounded by a world full of magic, and new things to learn every time, sometimes it was best to return to ones roots.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I was a little iffy on this chapter, so I really hope everyone liked it! I'll update soon! I PROMISE! XD**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	12. Learning the Ways of Slytherin

**Chapter 12: Learning the Ways of Slytherin**

Shyla Granger awoke that fateful day in October with her stomach in knots, and her brain not far behind. In her eleven years of existence, this was the most important day _ever_. Two events were on the horizon; one she looked forward to, and one that she dreaded with every fiber of her being. But the second she knew was inevitable, and was going to occur sooner or later. Today was parents' day, and Shyla knew her mum wouldn't miss it for the world. It had been a week since Shyla had seen the Daily Prophet, with her mother's face plastered on the front page, along with Viktor Krum. Eva and Keelee were there for her, especially when the question came up if Krum could possibly be her father.

Shyla had ignored all of her mother's owls since, avoiding confronting her at all costs. Yet, she found that she had been able to talk about the situation with her head of house with ease.

"_The woman who wrote that article is horrible. She creates lies and manipulates the truth." He had told her. "I have had my fair share of dealing with Rita Skeeter. There were rumors that surrounded my family. Some were true, and some were vicious lies. Skeeter spied on us, and created even more false rumors. I wouldn't worry too much about what she says. Chances are, they're lies."_

The words of comfort had helped Shyla to an extent. But she couldn't help but wondering if she was the daughter of the Quidditch star.

At breakfast, Shyla made her way to her normal spot with Eva and Keelee. She stopped when the captain of the Quidditch team, Payton Jones, called her over. "Granger! It's a game day. We eat together." Shyla gave a small smile to her two friends, and took her seat with her team mates.

_Two weeks prior, Shyla had stormed onto the Quidditch Pitch during the Slytherin team's normal practice time. "I want to try out." She demanded. She had seen all of them around the common room, but that was all._

"_You must be Granger." A tall boy with tanned skin and dark hair replied, laughing._

_Shyla nodded, trying to remain confident._

"_What position, might I ask?" He said, walking towards her._

"_Seeker." She heard herself say. While she could play the other positions as well, she found that being a seeker was her strong point._

"_We already have a seeker." Shyla realized this boy must be the captain, Payton Jones._

"_I heard he wasn't very good." Shyla smirked, crossing her arms over her chest._

"_From who?" Payton glowered, as the rest of the team began to gather around._

"_You." Shyla snapped. The team laughed, minus one boy who was becoming red in the face, obviously the current seeker. "I overheard you talking in the common room. Seeker tryouts were a disaster this year, weren't they?"_

_Payton narrowed his dark eyes, "Fine. Malfoy said if you pass tryouts, he will allow you on the team. That's an if, Granger. Prove yourself, and we'll talk."_

"_Jones, she's a first year, come on." Another boy called out._

_Payton smirked, "What have we got to lose, Storm?" He borrowed the one other female's broom and handed it to Shyla. "Besides, this could be really entertaining. No time to suit up, Granger. You try out now."_

_The boy that currently held the seeker position was scrawny, with brown, curly hair. "Jones, I was already given the position. You cannot seriously be considering letting a first year GIRL tryout."_

_The other girl walked up to the boy and flicked him on the ear. "Oi! Have something against girls, Miller?"_

"_Ow! Dawson! Merlin, that hurt! And I only have a thing against first year girls who think they can just come onto the pitch, after probably never playing Quidditch, and demand a tryout!" Miller snapped._

"_Hey!" Payton called, "Malfoy's head-of-house, he requested that we at least let Granger try out. Malfoy pulls the strings here, don't forget that." He scoffed and turned back to Shyla, "Ready, kid?"_

_Shyla smirked, "I've been ready." She mounted the broom. It was a little larger than her broom at home, but still had a sleek feel to it. "I'm not here to waste your time."_

_Payton laughed, "We'll see about that." He turned to Miller, "If you want to stay on the team, catch the snitch. Otherwise, we may give Granger a chance after all."_

_Miller mounted his broom and glared at Shyla._

_Shyla waited for Payton to blow his whistle, before kicking off the ground. She guided the broom upwards, getting a clear view of the pitch. Miller wasn't a strong flyer, that was evident. She scanned her eyes in every direction, trying to catch a glimpse of the small object in the sunset. Soon it would be dark, making it near impossible to locate the snitch._

_Shyla glided around casually, not letting her face betray her, by relaying what her stomach was feeling. Nerves. That was when she saw it. A glittering ball, reflecting the light behind her. It was just past Miller. She would have to get around him without him catching on. Shyla forced the broom downwards. Allowing herself to fly just under Miller, she came up on the other side, where he began to scramble in the same direction. Shyla was not going to let him steal her opportunity. She leaned forward, gaining speed. Miller grabbed the front of her broom, pulling her off course._

"_Hey!" Shyla shouted, kicking at her competition's broom. She had to give the Weasley's that, they played fair. She flew the broom sideways before flipping it around and enclosing her fingers around the snitch. That was it, she caught it. "Which embarrasses you more, the fact that a girl beat you, or the fact that I'm a first year?" Shyla mocked, before leaving Miller in her wake._

_She landed in front of Payton and tossed him the snitch. "So? Am I in?"_

_Payton smiled slightly, "Nice job. I'll have my answer in the morning. We've already started the season, and it's going to be a challenge training anyone new."_

_Shyla nodded, catching her breath. "Thanks for the tryout, at least." She turned to the girl they called Dawson and handed her the broom. "Here's your broom back, thanks." She began to leave the pitch before turning back to Payton, "Told you I wouldn't waste your time."_

_Shyla had been too nervous to speak the remainder of the night, and went to bed early. She hoped that by sleeping early, the morning would come that much faster. After hours of tossing and turning, and dreams of Quidditch, she finally gave up on sleep._

_After pacing the girls dormitory for a good thirty minutes, she got dressed and glanced at a clock. 6:30. another half an hour until breakfast would begin. She sat back on her bed and stroked Wiskers' fur gently. The large black cat looked up at her and mewed, followed by soft purring._

_Finally she plopped onto Eva's bed. "Eva." Shyla whispered, shoving her friend. "Wake up."_

_Eva groaned and rolled over, "Go away, Shyla. It's too early."_

"_I can't sleep anymore. Come to breakfast with me." Shyla begged._

"_Why?" Eva's voice was cracked from her recent slumber, and her hair knotted._

"_I find out this morning if I got onto the Quidditch team." She shoved Eva again, "Come on!"_

"_Granger!"_

"_Malfoy!"_

_Eva glared at the girl next to her, "I hate you."_

_Shyla grinned, "I know. Now come on!"_

_After arguing further, Shyla had finally won, and the girls were on the way to the Great Hall. Shyla ate slowly, waiting for Payton's arrival with his decision. It wasn't until 8:00 that he arrived. Half of the Slytherin Quidditch team in tow._

"_Granger." He greeted dryly._

"_Jones." Shyla responded, matching his town._

"_We've discussed this unusual situation. _If_ we let you on the team, you would have to attend extra practices to get you ready. Have you even seen a match?"_

_Shyla rolled her eyes, "My uncles took me to the Quidditch World Cup when I was eight."_

_Payton nodded in acceptance. "Alright. You're in."_

"_Cool." Shyla said, trying to contain herself. "When's practice?"_

Payton played beater, and was quite good at it. Shyla knew Fred and George were beaters in their day, and admittedly still had high respect for the position. Payton's younger brother, Alec, was also on the team. He played chaser along with Tripp Browning and Drew Arlington. Terry Storm played the second beater position. And then there was the keeper, Matilda Dawson. The queen bitch.

Matilda was a sixth year with long brown hair and hazel eyes. Her skin was nicely tanned, fitting well with her slim and athletic figure. She was every boy's fantasy, and that of some girls. Matilda was openly bisexual. The Slytherins all stood behind her, willing to fight anyone who messed with her. But, she didn't anyone's help. In her third year she managed to manipulate a group of Ravenclaw girls into hating each other. Even after it was discovered that Matilda was behind it all, too much damage had been done, and they could not seem to reconcile. That was the extent of what Shyla knew of the situation. But most importantly, she knew to stay on Matilda's good side.

"Oh, Shyla! I'm so glad there's another girl on the team!" Matilda laughed playfully. "These boys were seriously starting to rub off on me."

Shyla laughed, and began to tear small pieces off the biscuit that she had picked up. "I'm so nervous!" She admitted.

"You are eating more than that, right?" Tripp asked. He was in his fifth year. While students in other houses saw him as a jerk, Shyla had taken a liking to him. He was charming and good looking. Shaggy brown hair that generally found its way into his dark brown eyes.

Shyla shrugged, "I don't even know if I possibly could!" She shuddered at the thought of eating anything at all. She clutched her stomach hoping to gain some form of sympathy.

The entire Slytherin Quidditch team turned and stared at the young girl. Tripp shook his head and laughed, "We've all been there. But eat. We have a big game this afternoon. Besides, if you think you're nervous now, just wait."

"Wow, Tripp. Over protective much?" Alec Jones scoffed. In general, Alec was quiet. He and Payton looked a lot alike, with their tanned, Italian skin, and dark hair. Even their eyes were the same shade of a deep brown. But while Alec was often labeled as snobbish, Payton was loud and obnoxious. He enjoyed pushing people to their breaking point.

Tripp smirked and laughed playfully, "I've adopted you! You're my new sister!" He nearly shouted, turning back to Shyla.

Shyla watched as her teammates added pancakes and fruit to her plate. There was no way she could eat all of it, even on a normal day.

"Ugh... That guy is the definition of annoying." Matilda sneered.

Shyla turned and saw a pimpled faced boy with curly brown hair.

Matilda raised her nose slightly before continuing, "He's a Muggle born in Ravenclaw. Seriously, they come into _our_ school, thinking they're all special. All because they're new to magic. Then they walk around here acting like they're better than the rest of us." She looked at Shyla and smirked lightly. "You're lucky to be a first year. So innocent to the world's problems."

Shyla nearly laughed as she smirked back, "I grew up believing I was born a Weasley, only to find out that my dead father was never even my father. And the real one doesn't even know I exist. I think I can say that I have some idea of the world's problems."

"Oh, snap!" Tripp laughed whole heartedly.

"Touche, Granger. Touche." Matilda smiled at the first year.

The team laughed together as an older boy approached their table. Shyla had seen him before, but didn't know who he was. "There's a rumor you've gone soft, Payton."

Payton rolled his eyes at the allegation. "Oh?"

"Two girls on the team, AND one is a first year? Come on." The boy nearly laughed.

"Look, not that it is any of your business who I put on _my_ team. But, Granger will prove herself. Just as Dawson already has. So you can go back to the Gryffindors and tell them they're going _down_ today." Payton responded strongly.

"I think it's time for Granger's initiation." Drew spoke up. Terry nodded in agreement.

* * *

After they finished breakfast, and stuffing Shyla full of breads and fruits, the team made their way to the court yard of the school. Shyla had not considered an initiation process. Seeing her nerves flare up at the idea, Tripp and Matilda pulled her aside.

"Look, we're not going to haze you, or anything of that sort." Tripp explained. "You just have to prove yourself as a Slytherin."

Matilda nodded in agreement, "Pick an easy target. Preferably a Gryffindor, or a Hufflepuff is acceptable too. Make them feel like the trash they are." Her voice almost had a hiss to it, as she told Shyla the conditions.

Shyla nodded, understanding the challenge. She allowed her eyes to wander the grounds. It was a beautiful day, with the skies clear and the sun bright, proving to be enticing by the number of students that were in the courtyard that day. "Him." She finally said, gesturing to a Gryffindor boy with wavy blonde hair and thick glasses. "His name is Toby Franks. He's a first year Muggle born, and an absolute dunce in class."

"P. Jones!" Tripp shouted, motioning for the remainder of the Quidditch team to follow. Shyla made her way towards Toby. Realizing that he was standing with Ali and Thomas. She refused to care at this moment what her ex-cousins thought of her.

"Look who it is. Toby Franks, is it?" Shyla sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked him up and down with disgust. "I do wish they would have _some_ form of regulation about the quality of students they allow in this school. Honestly, Franks. You ask some of the worst questions in class. Do you not know anything?"

"That's enough, Shyla." Ali warned.

"I'm just getting started." Shyla snapped at Ali, rolling her eyes. She turned her gaze back to Toby, whose face was now flushed and his eyes staring at his shoes. "Maybe we could actually learn something in class if you weren't such a filthy little mudblood. Infact-"

"Shyla Jane Granger!"

Shyla felt the blood drain from her face, and her throat begin to tighten at the sound of the voice shouting her name. It was her mother. And she was early.

Tripp and Matilda gave Shyla a sympathetic glance, as the group of students turned to see Hermione Granger standing before them.

"Mum? What are you doing here?" Shyla choked out. The Gryffindor students began to laugh at the sight of Shyla. Even Toby was snickering, to which Shyla shot a deathly glare.

"Did you forget it was Parents Day?" Hermione replied, trying to remain calm, despite her desire to severely punish her daughter. "Maybe it's a good thing I came early. You know what, Shyla? I'd like to speak to you alone."

Shyla looked to Matilda, and then to Tripp, for a way out. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sorry, kid. You're on your own when it comes to mothers." Tripp said with an air of sympathy.

Matilda nodded, and patted Shyla on the shoulder. "Be at the pitch an hour before the match." As she walked away, she leaned down and whispered, "Good luck."

Shyla swallowed hard and turned her gaze to her mum. "Why _are_ you so early, anyways?" She spat quietly.

Hermione turned away from her daughter, and crossed her arms over her chest. Slowly she turned back to Shyla. "How could you say such horrible things?" Her face looked drained of energy. "I _know_ that I taught you better than that."

Shyla adverted her eyes. Today was the last day she wanted to deal with her own issues. Not when the Quidditch team counted on her so much. "Why were you with Viktor Krum?" Shyla demanded, changing the subject.

"This is not about me! It is about you calling a boy the worst possible name!" Hermione protested quietly, stepping closer to her young daughter.

Shyla sneered and rolled her eyes. "How can you say that? Your face was plastered all over the Daily Prophet!" She had promised herself she wouldn't bring it up, but as most eleven year old girls, she had trouble controlling her emotions.

"Shyla! Do not make a scene!" Hermione snapped quietly. Her eyes grew wide with anger.

"You were the one who made a scene!" Shyla shouted. "You embarrassed me in front of my friends!"

"Friends?" Hermione could not contain herself, and let out a short burst of laughter. "If those kids are who you are making friends with, then I _really_ should not have allowed you to join the Quidditch team!"

Shyla's face grew red with anger. "You ruin everything!" She stormed away, leaving her mum to stand in the wake.

* * *

Hermione felt a desperate need to see a friendly face. Lupin and Tonks had come with her to see Shyla's first quidditch match. Her thoughts returned to her own days at Hogwarts, and the memories began flooding. Her feet began towards the happiest place they knew. Hagrid's hut.

Moments later, Hermione found herself in the company of Hagrid, Lupin, Tonks, and Luna Lovegood. It was strange to be an adult, sipping a fire whiskey in the hut that she spent a lot of her time as a child. At that moment, she found herself missing Harry and Ron more than ever. After so many years of repressed memories, she couldn't help but feel them all come flooding back. "You know, I caught Shyla calling a boy a mudblood..." She finally said quietly.

Their eyes shot to Hermione with pure shock. "Wow." Tonks finally said through the thick silence.

Hermione let out a small laugh, "Remind you of another young Slytherin trying to find their way?"

"Hermione?" Luna said softly, "You should really talk to Malfoy. He has grown up a lot since our days at school. Plus, he might have an idea as to why Shyla is acting out so much."

Hermione nodded, "You're right. We have parent-professor meetings after the Quidditch math. I'll speak to him then."

* * *

Shyla walked to the Quidditch pitch with Eva and Keelee. Her stomach twisted in knots, and her hands shaking.

"Good luck, Shy!" Eva nearly squealed, giving her friend a quick hug.

Keelee did squeal. "You are going to be amazing! I overheard Payton talking, and you're the best seeker they've had in years. Plus, Gryffindor has been struggling with their own seeker. Have you had the misfortune of meeting Kale Finley?" Shyla shook her head, so Keelee continued. "He is Gryffindor's seeker. He's fast on his broom, but he doesn't stop well. Oh, and there is a rumor that he is in dire need of glasses, but won't get them."

Shyla got the drift of what Keelee was telling her. "Thanks, I should go get changed. I'll see you both, after?" Before they could respond, Shyla ran into the changing area. Her nerves were getting the best of her. The green and silver Quidditch robe hung on the wall, with 'Granger' printed on the back. Below her name was the a large, silver 4. She changed into the robe, breathing deeply, in attempts to calm herself.

When she stepped out of the small changing area, her stomach flipped. She ran to the opening of the tent and began to vomit. Her hands were shaking, and she felt tears begin to stream down her face. She felt a gentle hand hold her hair out of the way, and the other hand, gently rubbed her back.

"You okay, kid?" Tripp asked quietly.

Shyla shook her head vigorously. "I don't know if I can do this." She finally managed to choke out.

Tripp sighed, and summoned a water bottle. "We've all been there. Matilda's first game, she got a bloody nose, and managed to get it all over her robes. Alec was so nervous to live up to his brother's expectations, that he passed out before the match even started."

Shyla sniffled, and took a small sip of water. "What about you?"

Tripp chuckled, "I'm far too cool for all that." After laughing a moment more, and noticing Shyla's look of disbelief, he continued, "I cried... Yeah, Tripp Browning cried. I was a third year, and I had just found out that my parents weren't coming to my match. All of the stress finally got to me, and I sat in the corner of the tent, and sobbed." He sat Shyla down on a bench, and continued to rub her back. "But, we're Slytherins, we don't allow people to view us as weak. So, even though we were dying on the inside, we put on our game faces, and played the hell out of the games."

Shyla nodded, understanding that she too must make the Gryffindor team believe she is always confident. "Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked bluntly.

"I told you," Tripp smiled, "I've adopted you. You're my new little sister." He laughed. "Besides, Payton would not have placed you as seeker if he did not have insane amounts of confidence in you. Trust us, you're better than you know."

She smiled up at Tripp, "Thank you."

"Ugh! Gross!" Drew coughed as he noticed the smell lingering in the air. "Granger, are you the puker?"

Shyla rolled her eyes, "Shut up, Drew! If it hadn't been for that fourth pancake you piled on my plate, I would have been fine!"

Drew smirked at the girl, and performed a cleaning spell to rid the tent of the vile smell. "We've got this game. Gryffindor is going down."

* * *

**A/N: Hello hello! I know you have all been waiting for some major Draco/Hermione interaction. And I can promise that the next chapter will be filled with it! I was really proud of this chapter, but I love the next one even more. I have the next two chapters written, and I am debating on combining them into one. Either way you'll get a new chapter soon! As always, please review!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	13. Where Loyalties Lie

**Chapter 13: Where Loyalties Lie**

The Slytherin Quidditch team stood together, with Professor Malfoy in front of them. "We have a strong team this year. Payton has worked hard at training, and I think it will really pay off."

Payton grinned and pulled his hood over his head. "Let's kick some ass!" He said darkly.

"P! Sensitive ears here!" Matilda yelled, covering Shyla's ears.

The rest of the team laughed as Shyla fought to free her ears. "Not _that_ sensitive!"

"I'm going to go claim my seat. You have about five minutes until you need to go out onto the pitch. Good luck guys," Malfoy said excitedly.

"And girls! Emphasis on the plural girls!" Matilda replied.

Malfoy gave a half smirk, half smile, "My apologies. _And_ girls."

* * *

Hermione Granger found herself awkwardly sitting in the Slytherin section of the Quidditch stands. Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to recognize the people around her.

"Well, Granger. I would think you would be sitting with the Gryffindor supporters!" Draco said in a nonchalant way, sitting himself down next to her.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She sighed.

"Now, now. No need to get hostile!" He teased back. "Tell me, do you even know the rules of Quidditch?"

"Honestly, Malfoy. Did we not go to the same school?" Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

He smirked, preparing his comeback. He seemed to enjoy tormenting the woman sitting next to him.

"Professor Malfoy!" A young boy with dirty blonde hair shouted excitedly. "I was doing the potions homework and I had a question!"

Draco sighed and gave a look of annoyance to Hermione. "Mr. Swin, can't you see that I am talking?"

The boy looked at him in confusion, "Well, it will only take a minute!"

"No! It can wait until I meet with your parents." Draco scolded, becoming frustrated.

Swin frowned, but turned to Hermione. "Who are you?"

Before Hermione could reply, Draco stood. "Swin, get out of here before I remove points for pestering!"

The kid slumped off, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, Professor."

Draco turned to Hermione and smirked again, "Come with me."

"Where?" She insisted. "And why?"

"I'm not going to kidnap you. Seriously, Granger, you're so paranoid." He teased again. "There are better seats in the Professors' section. Besides, this is Shyla's first game. And if I recall correctly, you weren't the most knowledgeable at Quidditch."

Hermione stood and began following her childhood rival. "Why? Because I wasn't obsessive?"

He laughed, leading her through the crowd. "_I _wasn't the one who went with Krum to the Yule Ball!"

"Oh, so I can only date Quidditch players if I know every detail of the game?" She nearly laughed at the argument that was ensuing.

"I never said that!" He turned back to her and rolled his eyes. For being adults, they were certainly acting like children. "After all, I did see the Daily Prophet!"

"Viktor!" Hermione gasped.

"Oh good! You know his first name!" Draco said sarcastically.

Hermione pushed past Draco, ignoring his remark. Draco turned and watched her greet the Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker, Viktor Krum.

"What're you doing here?" She smiled, hugging the man. He greeted her with a kiss on her hand.

"Vhat a nice surprise! Vi am here for the Quidditch game." He explained, gesturing to the seat next to himself.

Hermione had forgotten about the invitation to sit with Draco, and sat down next to Viktor. "Did I tell you? Shyla is seeker for the Slytherin team." She realized for the first time that she was proud of her daughter making it onto the team. Hermione had been so focused on her daughter not acting like a Slytherin, that she hadn't noticed the good things Shyla was doing.

The remainder of the stands quickly filled, as students and parents chose which house they would be supporting.

It was only moments before the crowd erupted into a roar of cheers. Hermione found herself on her feet, and yelling in excitement as if she was 15 years old again. The word "Gryffindor" began to slip from her lips, as reality came crashing down on her. Instead she yelled, "Go Shyla!" finding she had a harder time supporting the Slytherin team than she anticipated.

Krum clapped respectfully and whistled loudly. "The Bulgarian scout has been vatching the captain of the Slytherin team, Payton Jones."

"Really? Shyla hasn't told me anything about him, but he did allow my daughter on the team, so I suppose he has to be somewhat decent." Hermione thought out loud. "Is that Lee Jordan? Wow, I haven't seen him in years!"

Lee Jordan's voice boomed through the air, "Welcome Hogwarts! Opening game of the year is the traditional Gryffindor verses Slytherin!" He opened the chest and held the golden snitch in his dark hands. "Let's keep this game clean and safe. Mount your brooms!"

Hermione watched Shyla position herself on her broom. She was much smaller than the other players that surrounded her. It was almost a surreal feeling to watch the child she raised playing such an intense game.

The whistle was blown and the players were off. Hermione couldn't help but watch the streaks of red and gold flying through the air. With some effort she latched her eyes onto Shyla, clad in the Slytherin green and silver. Shyla was slowly circling the pitch, her eyes darting every which way. Every once in a while, she would dart in a distinct direction, causing the Gryffindor seeker to chase after her.

"Vour daughter, she vas speed." Krum commented to Hermione.

"Genetics obviously don't play a role. Being your daughter, plus Weasel-bee's. He was our king for a while there." Draco smirked. Hermione had not noticed him until that moment. He sat next to Hermione, smirking at her attempt to ignore his remarks. "Good morning, Krum." He said politely, reaching over Hermione to shake the wizard's hand.

"Professor Malfoy, always a pleasure." Krum responded in kind.

Hermione glared at Draco and rolled her eyes. "Don't you have somewhere else to sit?"

"Wasn't _I_ the one who invited you to sit in this section, away from students?" Draco nearly laughed. "Honestly, Granger. Stop interrupting the match."

Hermione scowled, but turned her attention back to the pitch. She watched as Shyla made dashes in attempt to spot the snitch. Slytherin had scored several times on Gryffindor, making the opposing team's temper a short fuse. She watched as a player from her beloved house slam into her daughter as he flew past. "Hey!" Hermione found herself shouting at the air. She could see one of the Slytherin boys shouting at the one from Gryffindor, but couldn't make sense of it. "Gryffindor did not play this rough when I was in school."

"Rose colored glasses, Granger!" Draco replied, keeping his eyes on the game, "You only saw what you wanted to see. Yeah, Slytherin played dirty, but so did Gryffindor. You and I both know that Potter should have been expelled our first day of flying class, getting caught by McGonagall and everything. But he didn't even get detention."

Hermione scoffed and looked at the blonde next to her, "I can't believe you! You were the one who stole Neville's remembrall!"

"Come on!" Draco yelled suddenly, at something that Hermione clearly missed. "I was eleven. Besides, I wasn't the one that got caught."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, only to be shushed by Draco. Clenching her teeth, she focused on Shyla again. She was trying not to show that she was secretly terrified that her daughter was playing Quidditch. Which, in all right, she was allowed to worry about. Hermione jumped to her feet, watching a bludger hit Shyla's left shoulder. It took every ounce of will power to not pull out her wand and jinx the laughing Gryffindor boy to Diagon Alley and back.

Shyla seemed to be okay, as she continued to fly, her face solid with determination. It was only minutes later when she began to race across the pitch, towards Matilda at the goal posts. With the Gryffindor seeker right behind her, she tightened her grip on her broom. Shyla didn't slow down her speed, as she snatched her right hand through the air, causing her to nearly crash into Matilda.

"That's it!" Lee Jordan's voice boomed, "Shyla Granger has caught the Golden Snitch! Slytherin wins!"

Hermione was beside herself with excitement. Not sure of what to do, she hugged the person closest to her. Realizing it was Draco, she blushed.

Draco froze at the sudden hug from the brunette. He smirked, "Well, Granger, this was quite the surprise."

Hermione yanked herself off of the blonde and kept her eyes focused on the pitch, watching Shyla celebrate.

On the pitch, Shyla landed on the grass and grinned so large that her face hurt.

"Granger!" Matilda shouted, landing shortly after. "That was amazing!" She grabbed Shyla and pulled her into a hug.

The Slytherin team cheered taking turns congratulating their youngest player. Shyla held up the snitch for the crowd to see, enjoying the roar from the Slytherin supporters.

Once they were back in the tent, Professor Malfoy clapped with approval. "And _that's_ how we beat Gryffindor! Great game out there! We have a few things to work on, but take today to celebrate. You earned it!" He patted Shyla on the back, "Really, nice job out there. How's your shoulder?"

Shyla smiled and shrugged, "It's alright."

"Okay, well either way, you don't fly again until I have a letter from the hospital wing, clearing your health. House policy." Malfoy explained.

"Yes, Professor." Shyla nodded, turning back to her team mates. She headed for Tripp, "How was that for a first game?"

Tripp laughed and hugged Shyla, "That was seriously awesome. I am quite impressed."

* * *

**A/N: I realize that this chapter was quite a bit shorter. But the next one will be up tomorrow, since I will be visiting my parents for a week. And that chapter is the one that I am so so so excited for! :D Hope you enjoy! See everyone tomorrow!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**

**PS: Thank you to SlythernTribute12 for catching my mistake in Chapter 4, with Shyla calling Ron her uncle. I always proof read my chapters, but things slip by. If you notice an error, please, feel free to let me know!**


	14. Everyone Lies

**A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Everyone Lies**

After showering, Shyla met her mum down in the dungeons for their meeting with Professor Malfoy.

"You were amazing, Shy!" Hermione said, wrapping Shyla in a hug. "I am so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Mum! It still all feels like a dream!" Shyla laughed, pulling her wet hair back into a ponytail.

Hermione grinned before recalling her daughter's injury, "How's your arm? Is it okay?"

Shyla nodded and shrugged casually. "Yeah, it's no big deal. You'd be happy to hear that Professor Malfoy requires the hospital wing to sign off any potential injuries. I'll go in tomorrow and get a note so I can start riding my broom again."

Hermione was honestly surprised by the news. She had several memories of Harry flying when he probably shouldn't have been. "Good. I would have to speak a word with him otherwise!" She winked at her daughter.

"Look, Mum." Shyla started, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called that boy the- you know, the m-word."

Hermione sighed, "I'm really not the one you should be apologizing to. Yes, you did hurt me when I heard you use such a horrible word. But imagine how he feels. He's probably already having a hard time adjusting to being a wizard. He really doesn't need hatred added to it. You haven't forgotten that I am also a muggle-born, have you?"

Shyla shook her head sadly, "No. I honestly don't know why I said it. I'm really really sorry, Mum. I promise, I will apologize to Toby, and I'll never say anything like that. Ever."

"You're a good kid, Shy." Hermione replied, wrapping her young daughter in a hug. "That's why I was so upset."

They stood together, keeping their discussion off of fathers, dates, and houses. It wasn't even five minutes before Draco Malfoy opened his door, bidding a set of parents goodbye. He turned his attention to the Granger girls and invited them in. Shyla and Hermione sat in tall backed chairs across from Malfoy's desk. "Honestly, nice job at the match today, Shyla. Payton made a good call letting you play."

Shyla grinned, "Thanks, Professor!" She enjoyed being praised in front of her mum.

Hermione on the other hand, cut directly to the reason for the meeting, "How is she academically? Keeping up with her courses?"

Malfoy nodded, "Typical Granger. But yes, Shyla is doing well. The beginning of the term was a bit of a rough start. It appears that Quidditch has been a really good outlet for her. She is under the same rules as the other players. As long as she is keeping up in her course load, and maintaining her scores, she will play. But if they begin to slip, we'll reevaluate, and she may be pulled from the team. Just because she is a _first year_, it does not mean that we will give her special treatment." He emphasized the phrase first year, giving Hermione a knowing look.

Hermione felt her chest tighten in annoyance, "Harry didn't _need_ special treatment."

Malfoy locked his grey eyes with her brown ones. "Seeing as Shyla is the smartest in her social group, I don't foresee her having anyone to do her homework for her." He let out a light smirk as he finished his sentence, knowing it would rile up the woman sitting across from him.

"Eva's smart." Shyla burst out, not understanding what the adults were referring to.

Malfoy bit his tongue and turned to the young girl, "Yes, Evangeline can be smart, when she wants to be. But I noticed that you said nothing of Miss Devode." He teased.

Shyla let out a short laugh, "We are speaking about Keelee right? She's my friend, but she would rather be pretty than smart."

Hermione was immediately reminded of Lavender Brown. The girl had driven her insane since first year. But for some reason, they were friends. At least until Lavender started snogging Ron. It was strange being back in the walls of Hogwarts. Memories were breaking the barrier that she had worked so hard to build.

Malfoy laughed, "As long as she passes, I can't ask much." He stood, signaling the end of their conference, "Anyways, Shyla, keep up the good work. Let me know if there's anything you need. I will likely see you both at dinner."

Shyla waved goodbye to her professor, and grabbed her mum's hand, dragging her out of the dungeons. "I told Eva and Keelee that I would meet them after the game! You should meet my friends!"

The mother and daughter pair made their way to the Great Lake, where parents and students were relaxing on the grounds, and enjoying the nice weather.

"Shy!" Keelee squealed. She ran to her friend and hugged her. "Merlin, you did amazing! All of Slytherin is going crazy!"

"Thanks! Keelee, this is my mum! Mum, this is Keelee!" Shyla quickly introduced, she continued at a pace that did not allow Hermione to respond. "Where's Eva?"

"This way." Keelee linked arms with Shyla. "You look like your mum."

The girls made their way across the green grass, towards the clear blue lake. Shyla was glad the stench from making the Lake Monster ill had gone away. For weeks, students avoided the entire area like the plague. "Malfoy!" Shyla called, catching the small blonde's attention. "Is this not like, the best day ever?"

Eva turned, and smiled softly, "Granger! You were so great today! Max was totally asking about you, earlier."

It took Hermione by surprise to hear the girls talking in such a friendly way. She knew that Shyla had made friends with Eva, Draco's daughter, but it never crossed her mind of the nearly parallel universe that was commencing in front of her.

"I am Eva's mother, Talia Malfoy. You must be Shyla's mum?" A tall woman with dark blonde hair introduced herself.

Hermione smiled politely, "Yes. Hermione Granger. It is nice to meet you." She reached out her hand, but awkwardly pulled it back when Talia appeared to ignore the gesture. "So, how did you and Draco meet?" She attempted, trying to make some form of conversation.

"Unfortunate circumstances." Talia scoffed, lighting up a cigarette.

Hermione hid her cough from the smell of the smoke. "Oh." She glanced around before trying another direction, "I am glad that Shyla has made such a good friend, as Eva has been to her. You must be proud of Eva, getting into Slytherin."

Talia laughed lightly, "My dear, you don't remember me at all, do you?"

Hermione felt her face flush red, "I'm sorry, no."

"My maiden name is Sprout. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, and I was the same year as you, Draco, Weasley, and Potter." Talia replied, lacking emotion this time.

"And here I was, thinking I had an excellent memory!" Hermione laughed, trying to play it off.

Talia rolled her eyes, "I know you're the last of the Golden Trio and all, but stay away from my husband."

Hermione felt her jaw drop at the accusation, "Where did that come from?" She nearly demanded.

"I may have been a Hufflepuff, but I'm not completely daft." Talia flicked the cigarette, causing it to disappear. "I saw you sitting with Draco at the match. I saw the way he looked at you."

Hermione felt her temper rising, "Looked at me how? With sheer annoyance? He invited me to sit in the Professor's section, so I wouldn't have to sit with students. Then annoyed me the entire time, while I sat with the man I am dating, Viktor Krum. I don't know where you get off accusing-"

"For a bookworm, you are extremely dim." Talia laughed, enjoying the rise she was getting.

"Well, you have certainly filled the Malfoy name well." Hermione spat, storming away. She made her way to where she saw Tonks and Lupin, sitting together. "The nerve of that woman!" Hermione fumed.

"Who?" Tonks asked, glancing around.

"Malfoy's _wife_!" Hermione said, as if the words were pure venom. "She told me to stay away from her husband, as if I was trying to step on her territory."

Lupin smiled cautiously. "We saw you hug him."

Hermione began to pace back and forth, "I don't even know what came over me. I was excited, and hugged the person closest to me. I could have easily turned towards Viktor."

Tonks laughed, watching Hermione get riled up, "Mione, you don't have to explain it to me. I imagine you're going to have to sit with them at dinner. Try to play nice."

Tonks was right. Shyla insisted on sitting with Eva and Keelee, leaving Hermione sitting across from Draco and his wife. She had hoped that Viktor would come sit with her, but he was honored with a position at the Professor's table for the evening.

Attempting to make conversation, and to avoid the glare of Talia, Hermione turned to Keelee, "So, where are your parents tonight?"

Keelee sighed softly, "They're in Paris, on a personal trip. They so badly wanted to be here, but I insisted they don't change their plans. I miss the days when I could go to Paris with them."

"That's a shame. I hope to meet them sometime." Hermione smiled.

"How's work in the Office of Misinformation?" Draco asked Hermione before taking a bite of his roll.

"Slow right now. But I imagine we can all agree that is a good thing." Hermione replied, laughing gently. She eyed Talia carefully, respecting the boundaries that the other woman had set.

Draco let out a short laugh in agreement. "Merlin knows, you negotiating with the Prime Minister sounds like a horrible idea."

"Why?" Hermione demanded. "Please, Malfoy, enlighten us."

"Alright, Granger. If it's anything like your days of spew, you'll scare the Prime Minister half to death." Draco teased.

Hermione had lost all thought of respecting Talia and glared directly at Draco, "Oh, really? You think that my supporting of House-Elf rights was scary? Besides! How did _you_ even know about S.P.E.W.?" She asked, pronouncing each letter clearly.

"Mum, did you seriously call it spew?" Shyla interrupted.

Hermione abandoned her food, "_I_ didn't call it spew. It was Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. S.P.E.W."

"It obviously spells spew! And besides, that is exactly my point! You flitted around the castle promoting it. It was impossible to ignore you one-hundred percent of the time!" Draco pointed out.

"I did not flit!" Hermione was nearly yelling at this point. She was glad that the Great Hall was extremely noisy with the extra people in it tonight.

Draco locked eyes with Hermione, grey on honey. He lowered his voice, "Oh, you flitted, alright. Your head was always in a book."

"I'm bored, I'm going home." Talia announced, standing up.

"Yeah, see ya." Draco said quickly, not removing his eyes from Hermione.

"No!" Eva suddenly protested, "Mum, you can't leave yet! Dinner's not even over!"

"Look, Eva, I'm tired, and your father is acting like he's fifteen. I have better things to do with my time."

"I am not acting like I am fifteen! It's obvious Evangeline wants you to stay. So stay." Draco grumbled, finally breaking away from Hermione's glare.

Talia rolled her eyes and sighed, "Honestly, Draco, you are the only one who calls her Evangeline."

"And that's her name." Draco said back with just as much annoyance in his voice.

"Mum, I don't mind, really." Eva frowned. "Please, can't you just stay a bit longer. Desert should be soon."

Talia looked at her daughter coldly, "No. I told you, I am leaving. I will see you on Winter Holiday."

"Mum!" Eva protested as her mother walked away from the table, and out of the Great Hall. She pushed her plate away, "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, father. It was nice to meet you Miss Granger."

Keelee and Shyla gave each other a concerned look. Shyla turned to her mum and sighed, "Mum, I'm going to follow Eva. Is that okay?"

Hermione nodded, "Of course." She stood and gave her daughter a large hug. "Please be nice to the other students. I am truly proud of your ability at Quidditch today. I love you, and I'll see you in a few months."

"Love you too, Mum." Shyla responded. "Goodnight, Professor." She and Keelee left the hall quickly, hoping to catch up with Eva.

Hermione sat down and sighed. "We're not kids anymore, are we?" She nearly laughed.

Draco shook his head, "I suppose not."

She smiled awkwardly, "I should go too."

"Do you want to talk, just the two of us?" Draco propositioned.

Hermione looked at him with confusion.

"Just for a little bit." Draco insisted.

"I- I don't know if that's a good idea." Hermione felt her heart racing, and her head was light.

"Only to talk. Merlin, Granger." Draco smirked. "Come on." He stood and led the way out of the Great Hall. Hermione was not even sure why she followed him. He led her out of the castle, and towards the boat house. The sun had set, and the grounds were illuminated by the moon and stars. At the dock, they both sat, their feet dangling over the water. It reflected back the night sky, making it appear to go on forever.

They sat in silence before Draco finally broke it, "Look, I don't know what came over me. I see you, and I automatically revert back to being a kid. You're just so easy to tease." He smiled in the darkness.

"I don't even know why I let your teasing get to me." Hermione laughed, "I'm twenty-nine. You would think by now, I would have gotten over it."

"You were eighteen when you had Shyla." Draco stated as a matter of fact.

"Oh, you can do math. Good for you." Hermione teased.

"I guess I was eighteen by the time I married Talia, and Evangeline was born." He sighed. "I _really_ hope Evangeline waits to settle down. I do _not_ want to be a grandfather at thirty-six."

Hermione shuddered at the thought, "I think the war really messed us all up. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, but I did not plan on being a single mother at eighteen."

"Yet, you managed to successfully raise a daughter, and work in one of the most impressive offices at the Ministry." He said with admiration.

"Did I?" Hermione whispered. "Draco, she called a boy a- a mudblood, today."

Draco gazed off over the water and sighed.

"I thought we were past all of that." She found a tear had slipped down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away, hoping the man beside her didn't see.

"As long as blood supremacy families exist, things like that will happen." Draco tried to explain, "Shyla is a good kid. She is just trying to find her place at Hogwarts. Now that she's led Slytherin to winning their first match, it will probably calm down. She's now known for something, other than being your daughter." He turned to her and smiled softly. He noticed the glistening of her eyes. "Hermione..."

"It's nothing, really." She laughed, "Honestly, what is wrong with us? I think I really upset your wife tonight. I'm sorry."

Draco scoffed, "I doubt it. She probably just didn't want to be there anymore."

"Oh, she definitely told me to stay away from you. Which, apparently I am ignoring." Hermione sighed, swinging her feet gently over the water.

Draco rolled his eyes, "She's intimidated by you."

Hermione snapped her head to Draco, her curls bouncing from the movement, "What? Why?"

"I told her about you." Draco grinned in the dark. "About our time during the war."

"What did you tell her?" She gasped.

"Enough to get to her, evidently. It's been ten years, though. Apparently it really got to her." Draco smirked at Hermione.

They sat in silence together, before Draco began, "Look, Hermione. There's no point in denying it. Even now, I regret nothing about the time we spent together."

"Draco-" Hermione interrupted.

"No. I'm not done yet. The war should have been nothing but horrors. But it wasn't." He said with confidence in his voice. "I just thought you should know."

Hermione smiled gently, "Thank you." Her stomach flipped as she felt the edge of Draco's hand brush against hers. She smiled as their pinkies entwined, just as they did when they were young, and keeping their relationship a secret. "I don't regret it either."

It was hard to not imagine them back in the woods, only seventeen years old, preparing for a war that would destroy them.

"I still have nightmares." Hermione suddenly confessed.

"Me too." Draco nodded sadly, "There's a three month period directly after the war that I don't remember. I don't know if it's a form of PTSD, but it's gone."

Hermione stared at him in shock, "Draco- I-"

"Don't worry about me. Yeah, I wish I knew where it went, but that's how I ended up with Evangeline. So, I guess I really can't complain." Draco shrugged.

"I didn't know." Hermione whispered. She instinctively adjusted her hand to hold his in hers. Even if it was merely temporary, she liked sitting there with him,

He sighed and looked at her, his grey eyes strong, despite the emotions. "How would you?" He edged closer to her, draping his arm around her.

Hermione sighed and let her head rest against his chest. After nearly twelve years, it still felt so natural. Draco began to lightly caress her shoulder, resting his chin on her head. His arms felt so reassuring, causing Hermione's heart to flutter lightly. She traced small circles on his knee, trying to steady her breath.

"Nervous, Granger?" Draco teased.

"Of what?" Hermione scoffed.

"You tell me." He laughed lightly.

She could still remember the first time she heard his laugh. A real laugh, not one that he had let slip when he and his cronies were torturing someone. The pure sound of it had caught her off-guard.

_Harry was on watch, and it was her turn to do the nightly dishes. She was watching Draco read by candle light, and wasn't paying attention to how much bubbles she had produced with her wand. It was too late when Hermione realized that there were bubbles spilling onto the floor of the dimly lit tent. "Oh no!" She cried out, trying to scoop them up with her arms. That was when the sound of his laughter had hit her. It had only been a few days since he had joined their cause, but Hermione had already begun to notice him. The small things, like how he ran his fingers through his hair when he was in deep thought, or how he would turn scraps of paper into origami shaped as different creatures._

"_I'm sorry." He managed through his fit of laughter. "I don't know what came over me."_

Hermione smiled at the thought of his laughter, so innocent sounding. She had laughed with him that night. It was strange, laughing in such scary times, but it made her happy. He made her happy. Suddenly, she began to giggle aloud.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked releasing his hold on her.

"Memories." She whispered, "Wonderful memories."

Draco locked his eyes on hers, smiling softly at the woman in front of him. The silence made the fall air thick.

Hermione stood suddenly and began to run up the dock. "I'm sorry, I have to go!"

"Granger!" Draco called, sighing in defeat.

* * *

"Eva?" Shyla said softly, sitting down on her friend's bed. "Are you okay?"

Eva rolled onto her back and sighed, staring up at the ceiling, "You want to know what the worst part of all of this is? My mum is seeing another man."

Shyla frowned and laid next to Eva on one side, while Keelee took the other. "Does your dad know?"

"I think so. He doesn't seem to care either way." Eva explained softly.

"I lied." Keelee suddenly confessed. "My parents aren't in Paris."

Shyla propped herself up on her elbow, "What do you mean?"

"They just didn't want to come. Sent me an owl yesterday saying it just wasn't their idea of a good time."

"Why'd you lie?" Eva asked.

"It's kind of embarrassing, having parents that don't want you." Keelee laughed.

"Our families are so messed up!" Shyla exclaimed, "Eva's parents hate each other, Keelee's ignore her, and my mother is so ashamed of who my father is, that she insisted on lying for eleven years and counting!"

The girls couldn't help but laugh together, and they weren't exactly sure why.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! I LOVED writing this chapter! So I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much. I will be away from my computer for most of the next week or so. But I always read every review and pm, and I appreciate all of my readers! See you all soon!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	15. He is always so smug and insufferable!

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG! I hit a slight writers block, and I wasn't sure where to end this chapter and start the next. So this chapter is a little shorter, but the next chapter will be longer, and I believe I am over the block! So enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: "He is always so smug, and insufferable!"**

Hermione Granger carried a cell phone. The smartest witch during her years at Hogwarts carried a cell. Wizards looked at her strangely when she used it. Her excuse? Working so closely with the Prime Minister required such a device. But as much as it was for work purposes, it was also so that she could easily get in contact with her parents.

Today, Hermione was supposed to pick Shyla up from the Hogwarts Express for the winter holidays. Then the Minister of Magic requested her presence for an interview with the Daily Prophet for a series on they were conducting on the departments at the ministry. If Hermione had declined, the opportunity would have gone to her work place rival, an American wizard, Nate Harris. He was young, and nice enough, but he gave Hermione the impression that he was after her job.

Hermione sighed, glancing at a clock. The train would have just arrived, and the plan was for Shyla to picked up by her grandparents, and spend the afternoon with them. She sipped her coffee, while waiting for her turn interviewing with the journalist from the Daily Prophet.

"Miss Granger?" a young girl carrying a clipboard called out, "We'll be ready for you in two minutes. You may bring your coffee."

Hermione smiled at the girl, "Oh good, sometimes I feel like I should just hook an IV up to my arm." She laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension of the room.

The girl scrunched her forehead and let out an uncomfortable laugh, "Excuse me, miss?"

Hermione shook her head, "Sorry, never mind. Just give me a moment." She glanced down at her papers, checking her notes as she felt a light vibration coming from the pocket of her suit jacket. She pulled out the small black phone and checked the caller ID. It was her mother. Hermione shrugged it off, assuming that she was just calling to inform her that they had picked Shyla up.

She flattened the hem of her knee length, pleated skirt. The girl showed her into a small office. Two couches faced opposite of each other, with a coffee table in between.

On one of the black leather couches sat a thin, balding man. He wore a yellow plaid suit, and shiny orange shoes. He stood and smiled crookedly at her, "Hermione Granger, I presume? I am Theodore Magnus." His voice hit a pitch in Hermione's ears that in a raspy, torturous way, reminded her of nails being scraped down a chalkboard.

Hermione smiled at him softly, memorizing his entire being so she could describe every detail later to Shyla. "Good afternoon, Mister Magnus, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Please, call me Ted," the man corrected, waving his hand at her.

She was pleased to see that instead of a quill writing for him, per the style of Rita Skeeter, he took his own notes. Despite his appearance, Hermione found him pleasant enough to speak with. He was kind and funny. Several minutes into the interview process, Hermione felt her phone vibrate again. She casually readjusted her legs, and took a sip of her coffee, in attempt to ignore the call. Two minutes later, it occurred again. Hermione's stomach sunk in worry. Her mother would not have been this persistent unless something was very wrong.

After the fifth call, Hermione raised her hand to pause, "I'm so sorry, my parents are picking my daughter up from the Hogwarts Express today, and my mother is desperately trying to reach me." She pulled out the cell phone, verifying the missed calls. "It's a muggle device, but she has called me five times now. I really need to take this. Forgive me." She did not wait for Ted to respond and raced out of the office, leaving her coffee behind. In the hallway she quickly dialed her mother.

"Mum?" Hermione asked, her voice faltering, "is everything okay?"

"_Hermione, we went to pick up Shyla. Just like we would greet you. Between platforms nine and ten," _Martha panicked. _"She hasn't shown up. Other students have. Plenty of families have left with their children."_ Martha began to sob over the phone.

She heard a shuffle of the phone, before John's voice came on, _"Hermione, we've been here for half an hour, should we continue to wait?"_

Hermione nodded to herself, catching her breath, "Yes, please. Dad? Tell Mum that everything will be alright. I'll contact the parents of her friends, and I will call you back in fifteen minutes."

Hermione hung up the phone and raced to her office. The elevator system felt sluggish today, as she tapped her leg nervously. She bit her lower lip before twisting a curl around her finger. "Come on, come on, come on!" Hermione urged.

When she finally reached her floor, Hermione turned a corner before thrusting the door open. "Sienna!" She called to her secretary, "have any owls come? It's extremely important."

"Miss Granger!" Sienna sputtered out of shock, "Yes! There is a letter on your desk." As Hermione ran into her office Sienna called after her, "is everything alright?"

Hermione ignored the question and yanked the letter off of her particularly clean desk.

_Hermione,_

_ If my suspicions were correct, your daughter did not get your permission to come home with us. Alas, she is here with Evangeline. She is more than welcome to stay for dinner. Please, as I am sure you are doing so: do not panic. Shyla is fine. Oh, you are also welcome for dinner. We're having lasagna. At 6pm. Don't be late._

_ -Draco_

_ P.S. I know you are going to be furious right now. Please wait until at least 5pm to arrive. An angry Hermione is a scary Hermione._

Hermione scowled and threw the note back on her desk. She could here his pompous attitude even in his writing. She could see him sitting at his desk, smirking. It made her want to scream. Noticing Sienna standing in her doorway, she scoffed, "He is completely infuriating!"

"Who is?" Sienna asked, entering further.

"Draco Malfoy!" Hermione nearly shouted. "He is always so smug, and insufferable!" She began to pace back in forth as her temper rose. "Not to mention detestable and unbearable!"

"Miss Granger," Sienna interrupted, "I mean no disrespect, but you're doing it again."

Hermione stopped, and stared at the girl, "Doing what?"

Sienna's attempt at concealing a smile was mediocre at best, "When you get upset you become a walking thesaurus."

"I do not!" Hermione protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Insufferable, detestable, unbearable," She quoted. "They all mean the same thing."

"And they all define Draco Malfoy!" Hermione huffed.

Sienna's effort gave way, and she smiled, brushing her long black hair out of her face, "Is there anything I can do?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Thank you, Sienna, but no. Shyla is friends with his daughter, and she got off the train with the Malfoys. My parents were supposed to pick her up, but when they waited for her and she never showed, they panicked. I ruined my interview with the man from the Daily Prophet." She slumped into the chair across from Sienna's desk, and groaned into her hands.

"What are you going to do now?" Sienna asked with interest.

Hermione nearly laughed, "I have to go to the Malfoy Manor to retrieve my daughter. Oh, and Malfoy is demanding I have dinner with him."

"He likes you." Sienna chuckled. Imitating some one in love, she raised her hands to her right side, just under her chin, and sighed romantically.

"That is absolutely absurd!" Hermione cried, shaking her head. "He is incredibly rude, and really only cares about himself." Noticing the look in the girl's eyes, Hermione knew she was just making excuses and reasons to hate the man. Standing, she scowled and resisted the urge to stamp her foot. "Besides, I have to go call my parents! They were so worried." She rushed out of the office before Sienna could continue teasing her. Hermione adored her secretary, but found her unreasonable on occasion.

She tapped the recall button on her mobile phone.

"_Hermione, have you found her?"_ Martha Granger nearly sobbed into the phone.

"Yes, Mum. It's okay. There was a- a form of miss-communication. She is at a friend's house, and I will go pick her up this evening." Hermione responded, trying to keep her voice steady.

"_John! Shyla's okay, she is with a friend!"_ Martha shouted on the other end.

Hermione sighed quietly, "I'm so sorry you had to worry like this. Shyla and I will be by for dinner next week. Give my love to Dad, and I'll talk to you later. Bye, Mum." She quickly hung up the phone and walked to the nearest fireplace. It was two hours before she could go to the Malfoy Manor. A place that she had only imagined on the rare occasion.

* * *

**A/N: I am back in school, so that will keep me fairly busy, but I will try to update every other week at the absolute latest! Three day weekend is almost here, so I will write as much as I can! I am SO excited for the next chapter! I have rewritten it like 5 different times, each with just little things changed, here and there. But I really like what I have so far, and I am hoping to get it out next week. (Probably Thursday or Friday) ANYWAYS... Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews! I read every single one, and I wish I had the time to be able to send everyone a reply, but alas. Just know that I read and appreciate all of them!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	16. Shyla Granger and the Malfoy Manor

**A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO sorry it took me so long to update! I had most of this written in my notebook, but then I got really sick, and missed a week of classes. Of course, right in time for exams. So I spent a couple weeks playing catch up, and wracking my brain. BUT HERE IT IS! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Shyla Granger and the Malfoy Manor**

"Honest, Professor, my mum said it was okay if I came over to hang out with Eva!" Shyla lied as innocently as she could.

Draco eyed her carefully. She was lying, it was obvious. He glanced around Platform 9 ¾. Hermione was nowhere to be seen. There was no possibility of her being late, especially to pick up her daughter. "Where is your mum, anyways?"

"Seriously? Why would she give me permission to come to _your_ house, and then show up here to pick me up? Completely counter productive." Shyla insisted. Her hair was getting long, flowing around her shoulders now. She brushed it over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her.

"Dad, let's just go." Eva complained. "Why would we lie?"

He turned to Eva and raised an eyebrow. "Must you really ask that question, young Slytherins?" He sighed, and ran his hand through his blonde hair. "Move it ladies, to the fireplaces."

"I love floo network!" Shyla sang, with a skip in her step.

"Evangeline, you will go first, and then Shyla." Draco instructed.

Eva nodded, and took a handful of the floo powder as she stepped into the oversized fireplace, "Malfoy Manor!" she yelled. Throwing the powder down, she was engulfed in a green flame.

Shyla followed closely behind, and held her breath as the cool flames enveloped her. She loved the feeling of traveling by floo. It was a rush, and made her stomach flip, as it often did while she was flying.

She stepped out of the fireplace at her destination and breathed a quiet, "woah" as she took in her surroundings.

The parlor of the Malfoy Manor was well lit from the sun shining through the large windows. Her entire apartment could easily fit into this one room. There were several couches, and large chairs. The room seemed inviting and warm, despite the bitter cold wind that was blowing outside.

Shyla turned to Eva and grinned, "This is just one room?"

"Would you even dare assume that we lived in a common house? We are Malfoys after all " Eva smirked, finally having an upper hand on Shyla. Shyla rolled her eyes at her friend. "I want to see your room then, your majesty."

"It's about time you realized that Malfoys are royalty." Eva laughed, leading her friend out of the parlor and into a grand hallway. The floors were marble, glistening from the chandelier that hung in front of the stairs.

Everything was so grand and elegant. It made the Ministry of Magic look dull and bland. Shyla had often been to the Ministry, when her mum had to go to work for a little while.

"Where's your room?" Shyla asked, trying to capture every ounce that the Malfoy Manor had to offer.

"It's on the first floor. Come on, it'll still be here later." Eva teased. She didn't often have friends over. In fact, growing up, she didn't have many friends at all. The Malfoy name had been tainted after the war. Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban. A life sentence. Eva had never met him. While her grandmother, Narcissa, lived in the Manor with them, she was often isolated from social events. Every once in awhile her father was invited to balls, and dinners, but mostly because he held the Malfoy fortune in his hands. Regardless of whether or not the wizarding world respected the Malfoy name, the had high regards for the money that was attached to it.

Shyla ran her hand along the Mahogany banister that ran up the spiral staircase. It reminded her of a palace from one of a book Hermione would read to her when she was much younger. "Oh! Hello!" Shyla called out to a small house elf that was cleaning the stairs with a rag.

"We do not talk to the help, Granger." Eva snapped, raising her nose to the creature that she found to be beneath her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Malfoy, and Miss Malfoy's friend." The elf squeaked politely.

Shyla smiled meekly at the elf, and bounded up the stairs after Eva. She followed her blonde friend down the hall of the first floor, into a room that was primarily white, with different shades of pink strewn throughout the room.

"Malfoy likes pink, huh?" Shyla teased.

"Shut up, Granger." Eva stuck her tongue out at Shyla, and plopped down onto her large bed.

The comforter was white with pink cherry blossoms stitched into it. Shyla sat down next to Eva and glanced around the room. Unlike the posters on Shyla's bedroom walls, the ones here had frames around them, and were hung properly. There were white Christmas lights strung through the room. Though, it was unclear if they were decorations for the holidays, or if Eva always had them in her bedroom.

Eva kicked off her ballet flat style shoes, and leaned onto one of her pink, frilly pillows. "Think your mum would let me come stay at your place tomorrow?"

Shyla laughed nervously, "If I'm not completely grounded, I don't see why not. I will ask her tonight." She smiled slyly at her friend. "I can't believe we convinced your dad!"

Eva eyed Shyla, "He knew you were lying."

Shyla rolled her eyes, "Then why would he let me come over?" She pulled her hair to the side, and casually braided it, tying it with a black ribbon from her pocket.

The girls glanced at the door, as a short knock sounded. Draco entered the room, "Shyla, your mum will come by this evening. You will both be staying for dinner." He turned his attention to the young Malfoy before him, "Evangeline, dinner is at six. Let me know if you ladies need anything."

He shut the door behind him, and Eva shot Shyla a look of knowing. "I think _my_ dad likes _your _mum!"

Shyla's mouth gaped open. "That's crap and you know it!"

Eav pursed her lips and continued anyways, "Nobody ever just '_comes over_' for dinner. They're here for either dinner parties, wearing their best, formal attire. Or, they come for business. Why else do you think he invited you both for dinner?"

"First," Shyla started, "he invited us both, because I am already here, and it would be rude to not. And secondly, your parents are married. My mum would _never_ date a married man!"

"Shyla! My parents are hardly married!" Eva laughed, "I've told you this before. It's not a secret for Merlin's sake! My mum stays with my dad for money and a nice house to live in. My dad stays with my mum so that someone can watch after my grandmum. That's it! I haven't even seen them kiss since I was seven. It's not new, and by no means am I heart broken over it." She adjusted to lay on her back and sighed. "So why can't my dad like someone like your mum? Is she too good for him, or something?"

"Eva, that's not it." Shyla shook her head quickly. "Just wouldn't it be weird? I mean, he's my professor, and she's well, my mum."

"So, what? Am I _not_ your best friend?" Eva manipulated.

"You know you are." Shyla sighed in defeat. "But what about our search for my real dad?"

Eva shrugged, "That's more of Keelee's deal. Honestly, if he hasn't even made an appearance in over eleven years, what makes you think he'll suddenly want to be dad if we do find him?"

Shyla frowned, she hadn't thought of that. "What's the harm in having a replacement dad?" she finally asked.

"Oh good! We're on the same page then!" Eva nearly squealed.

"Operation get-our-parents-together?" Shyla grinned, "Oh yeah! It's on!"

* * *

Not long later, Eva had decided to give Shyla a tour of her home. "I know! Let's go say hi to Grandmum! I haven't seen her since Hogwarts started."

Shyla nodded in agreement, and followed Eva to the second floor, and to the left. The girls entered an open doorway to a large sitting room. Shyla's was beginning to believe that everything in the Malfoy Manor was either grand, or large, or both.

"Hello, Grandmum!" Eva greeted, kissing the aging woman's cheek. "This is my friend, Shyla Granger. She's in Slytherin with me."

"Granger?" Narcissa Malfoy asked quickly. Her hair had greyed, and her eyes looked tired, and worn. She smiled softly, "I have _always_ wanted to meet you."

Shyla stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Finally she asked, "Oh. Um, do you know my mum?"

Narcissa nodded briefly, "You look just like her." Soft wrinkles framed her face. Her smile transformed into a frown. "Let me tell you girls, war destroys people, families, and lives. It makes us do horrible things. If I could undo everything I ever did, I would."

"Grandmum? Are you feeling okay?" Eva interrupted, "Should I go get Dad?"

Narcissa shook her head, "I am fine, Evangeline. I certainly do not need your father! Why would you ask such a thing?"

Eva shrugged, and shifted her feet. "It's just that you never talk about the war. Nobody does."

Narcissa pursed her lips. Shyla now knew where Eva got that trait from. "It's not often that it catches up with you." She eyed Shyla carefully.

Shyla glanced around nervously. "Maybe I should go?"

"Sit." Narcissa snapped. "You're a Slytherin. Don't act like a Hufflepuff."

Shyla and Eva both sat on the cushioned bench across from Narcissa. She stared Shyla down momentarily. "Miss Granger, seeing your mother's Gryffindor background, I find it strange that you ended up in Slytherin."

Shyla nodded, "I've gotten that a lot. The thing is, my mum raised me to be independent and a free-thinker." She shrugged casually, "In all honesty though, everyone thought I would be sorted into Gryffindor. Even I did. You know, being raised as a Weasley, and all."

Narcissa's eyes widened, "Weasleys?!" She managed to choke out.

Eva took over and smirked, "Yeah, it's so messed up. Her mum lied to everyone, saying that Shy was Ron Weasley's daughter, and when she was sorted into Slytherin, they realized Shyla was not a Weasley. It was so dramatic. But now, her mum refuses to tell her the truth about who her real father is."

"That's absolutely horrible!" Narcissa gasped. "Especially to be tossed into a lot like that."

Shyla shrugged, "They're not all bad. In fact, the only intolerable ones are Ginny and Molly. Mum says that is only because the war made them so sad."

Narcissa frowned, she could relate to that. It destroyed her family, and the only reason she had her only son, Draco, was because Snape saved him in so many ways. Finally she spoke, "It made a lot of us very sad."

Shyla felt strange around Narcissa. It felt so natural, like she fit into her family. As if Narcissa was her own Grandmum.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! Yay! I can't promise when I will update next, but I am hoping to take some time each day to write. Hopefully won't be too long, especially since the next chapter is AMAZING! I have majority of it written in my notebook, I just need to decide on some details, and add more to it.**

**OH YEAH! I have a twitter account now, so that I can update everyone on what's going on with the story, and prospectively when I will update. (BTW, I got this idea from SugarQuills007, whose story is great! - and full of DMHG) But anyways, it's twitter pygmypuffpurple - PurplePygmypuff was taken *sad face.* But I compromised. So yeah, add me on there!**

**Love to all my reviewers, and everyone who as added me to their favorites and/or alerts!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	17. Of Snow and Memories

**A/N: So, I got to writing, and I really liked how this turned out, so I thought I would reward my awesome readers with another chapter. My favorite chapter to date! *fangirl squee!***

* * *

**Chapter 17: Of Snow and Memories**

Hermione Granger Apparated to a dark alley, away from any prying eyes. There was a cold chill to the wind tonight. She pulled her red scarf tighter around her neck. Her black pea coat ended mid-thigh, making her wish she had chosen the less stylish, but warmer coat. She quickly pulled on her thick black gloves. It was much colder in this part of London that she anticipated. Even her shoes were inadequate for the soft layer of snow that was present.

She had never been to the Malfoy Manor. Even when they were younger, Draco had hardly spoken to her about it.

Hermione rounded the corner of the street and unmistakably knew the house standing alone was indeed the Malfoy Manor. There were no other houses on the long, dark street. But it stood at the end, behind tall, iron gates. Across the gates, 'Malfoy' was scrawled delicately. The house was lit, the snow reflecting the lights glowed peacefully. She couldn't help but doubt that the manor was this beautiful when Malfoy Senior resided there. Or worse, when Voldemort himself took control of the home.

A lump formed in her throat, but she took a deep breath and continued forward. Draco raised a daughter in that house, she couldn't believe he would keep any sign of its dark past.

Hermione found the gate to be unlocked, and she allowed herself through. It creaked darkly, causing a stir from an Albino Peacock sitting on the trimmed hedge. It made a sound that mirrored the noise Crookshanks would make when he wanted to be fed. She smiled softly to herself, missing her old friend. He had passed away only a few years prior, from old age.

As she neared the manor, Hermione began to instinctively flatten her hair. It was unlike her to be so nervous. Especially when she saw no logical reason to be. She rang the doorbell quickly, and stepped back a little.

Promptly, the door was opened, revealing a short house elf. _Figures._ "May I take your coat, Miss?" he asked.

Hermione smiled sweetly to the small creature. "Of course, thank you. I am Hermione Granger. I am here to pick up my daughter, Shyla." She removed her coat, scarf, and gloves, handing them to the elf.

"Master Malfoy is in the kitchen. This way please." The elf said, levitating her belongings to a coat rack off to the side.

"Thank you, Brellin. I will take it from here." Draco announced, appearing in the foyer. He smiled at the woman in front of him. "Hi."

Hermione smiled and shook her head, "Where's Shyla?"

Draco shrugged, rocking back on his heals. "She's upstairs with Evangeline. Don't worry." He ran his hand through his hair awkwardly, "Would you like some tea?"

"Draco," Hermione sighed with annoyance. She glanced him over and raised an eyebrow, "When was the last time you had your hair cut?"

"Oh, I don't know. Why? Is it getting long?" Draco laughed.

"Have you _looked _in a mirror? It's so shaggy. Honestly, Draco." Hermione teased.

"You haven't answered my question." Draco informed.

"What question?" Hermione sighed.

"Fine. It's no longer a question. Tea. You. Me. Now." He turned, and started leading her to what she presumed would be the kitchen.

"Draco, I can't." She insisted.

He spun around and stared at her, "Can't what? Have a cup of tea with an old friend?" He waited briefly for her answer before he continued on his way.

It was large, but homey. Bar stools were pushed up against the heightened counter tops. Draco opened a cupboard made from dark wood, and retrieved two tea cups. "How do you take your tea?" He asked, placing a kettle of water on the stove.

"You can make tea?" Hermione snorted.

He looked at her, his blonde hair falling into his grey eyes. "Merlin, Granger. I'm not completely useless!" He prepared the tea leaves while shaking his head in portrayed offense.

Hermione watched him with amazement. It was difficult to see the young prat that he was so many years before. Breaking the silence, Hermione spoke, "Is Shyla doing better in classes?"

Draco nodded, "Quidditch has helped. She really only associates with Slytherins right now. But that is only natural. Hermione, she's a good kid, I wouldn't worry about it." He paused and smiled before continuing, "Shyla's a lot like you, ya know."

Hermione looked up at him, "Oh?" She wasn't sure how else to respond.

Draco smirked, "Yeah. She's stubborn, and a know-it-all."

She rolled her eyes, accepting the cup of tea. "I'm just glad her first year is going better than mine did."

Draco sat next to her, and took a sip of his tea. "I'm sorry if I made it worse."

Hermione let out a light laugh. "Honestly? You were the least of my concerns that year. I believe you took on that role during second year."

He sat silently, unsure of what to say. Finally, he smirked at her, "Merlin, I was a prat!"

Hermione laughed, "I know." The two locked eyes, as if they were trying to read the others' mind. After what could have been ages, Hermione smiled broadly. "It's snowing."

Draco looked over his shoulder, "So it is." He smiled and set down his cup. "Come with me!" He stood suddenly, and grabbed her by the hand. Draco led her out the side door in the kitchen. They walked onto a snow covered lawn, with tall hedges opening to them in the distance. It must have been a maze, as so many rich people have in stories.

Hermione let out a gasp, "It's so beautiful." The lights in the hedges twinkled like fairies in the night.

Suddenly she frowned, "Draco? Do you have happy memories of this place? Your home?" She knew it was intrusive, but their friendship had been so open before. She hoped that it would continue that way.

He shrugged, snowflakes hanging onto his blonde lashes. "Some. After the war, I took residence here, determined to clear out the bad memories. When Evangeline was born, it helped. She was always so happy, and innocent." He chuckled slightly, "I wish I knew why she is so moody now."

"Maybe it is because she's a Malfoy?" Hermione teased.

Draco turned to her and smirked. "Only so many years ago, you were quite smitten with a Malfoy. If I remember correctly."

Hermione felt her face flush despite the cold air. But she smirked back, "And I recall a Malfoy being taken by a Muggle-born."

"Past tense?" Draco asked quietly.

"What?" She replied in confusion.

"You used past tense." Draco pointed out. His eyes lingered on her face. Particularly her lips.

"Was I incorrect?" Hermione asked, catching her breath.

"Sort of." He replied, taking a step closer to her. "It's hard not to be taken by someone who is so incredible."

"Draco.. I-" Hermione tried. She had matured enough to know that Draco was admitting his feelings for her. "Do you have the maze memorized?" She suddenly asked, "It seems so large and vast!"

"Granger, you talk too much." Draco laughed, placing his hand on the small of her back. He stared at her longingly before smiling at her, "I'm going to count to three, and then I am going to kiss you. If you stop me, I will back off. But I can't continue ignoring how I feel about you."

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat, and breathed deeply to calm the butterflies that were stirring. She began to recall their first kiss.

"One." Draco whispered.

_They had already established a form of friendship. At first, Harry felt he was still protecting Hermione, and would keep them apart frequently.__ But eventually, Hermione insisted that Harry relax, and that if Draco tried anything, she would hex him into last year._

_Hermione was on watch that night, and Draco volunteered to take her dinner. "I brought you food." He announced, handing her a plastic plate with a mass of potatoes, corn, and green beans._

"_Harry cooked tonight, didn't he?" Hermione laughed nervously, taking the plate._

"_It's edible, I had some." Draco shrugged, "Besides, Potter has a lot on his mind."_

_Hermione nodded in agreement, "I know." She turned and looked at the boy standing next to her. "Your information has been so helpful. Yet, terrifying." She shivered in the cool evening air, readjusting her position on her sitting rock. _

"_Oh, I brought you a blanket." Draco recalled, draping the dark green cloth over her shoulders. He sat next to her carefully, keeping a respectable distance between them._

"_Thanks." She smiled at him, and began to eat, preferably before it got cold. She coughed a little, "He's made worse."_

_Draco laughed, "When all of this is over, let's say we'll go out and eat the nicest food we can."_

_Hermione smiled softly, "And drink the nicest wine that money can afford!" For some strange reason, she had always wanted to say that._

_Draco agreed, "It's a date."_

"Two..."

_They sat in silence while Hermione finished eating her meal. Finally, she placed her plate on the ground, and pulled the blanket tighter. "Look, I'm not sure if this is loneliness speaking, or actual feelings," she spat out, catching Draco's attention. "but, I have grown fond of you." She felt her face blushing, and she allowed her hair to fall in her face, hiding his reaction from view._

"_I watch you read by candlelight." Draco informed the girl._

_Hermione's head shot up and she locked eyes, grey to honey._

"_I can tell it's an exciting part of the book when you twirl your hair around your finger." He said softly, "I've noticed the way you watch the stars when you think no one is watching."_

_Hermione felt her heart beating rapidly. His response took her completely by surprise. Surprising even herself, she pressed her lips against his. They were soft and inviting._

_He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He returned the kiss with just as much fervor. No one had kissed her in such a way._

"Three." Draco breathed before wrapping his hand in her curls, gripping the small of her back. He kissed her with twelve years of pent up longing and emotions.

* * *

**A/N: There it is! I hope everyone loved it as much as I do!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	18. Young Love and Mashed Potatoes

**Chapter 18: Young Love and Mashed Potatoes**

Draco smiled down at Hermione. She looked up at him. Her eyes wide with surprise. She hadn't anticipated such a kiss. "Draco..." Hermione whispered.

"Don't ruin this, Granger." Draco warned quietly. He wrapped her small frame in his arms. "Give me at least a few more minutes of bliss before you say something logical."

Hermione smiled and nodded obligingly. She buried her face in his chest and took a moment to breath in his scent. When she finally couldn't take it anymore, she spoke, "You're married." She felt her chest tightening, and her breath becoming heavy.

"I'm only going to say this once." Draco informed, "Talia and I are only _together_ for Evangeline and so my mother has company while I am away. I provide her with a place to live, and money to spend. She has no say in who I see, and I have no say in her affairs." He paused briefly and stared down at the woman in front of him. "Merlin, Granger. I never stopped loving you. If I had _any_ knowledge of you being alive, I would have come for you."

Hermione felt her face flush despite the cold. She frowned slightly and brushed his cheek with her thumb. She kissed him and grasped his hand in her own. "We should get back inside, before anyone realizes we're missing."

Draco kissed Hermione's hand before nodding, "Yeah, okay. If you insist." Still, he resisted slightly before following the brunette.

Once back in the kitchen, Hermione removed her hand from his and straightened her hair. "What time is dinner?" She asked properly.

Draco sighed, "Now. The girls should be in the dining hall any minute now."

She nodded, "I should go freshen up. Where's the lavatory?" Following Draco's instructions, she entered a rather ornate bathroom. She was starting to believe that nothing in the Malfoy Manor remained simple or plain. Hermione stared into the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were red. While her heart was nearly jumping out of her chest, her stomach gave a turn of unknowing. She breathed deeply, straightened her hair, and returned to the hallway.

"Mum!" Shyla called out, "I didn't realize you were already here!" She smiled innocently, awaiting her mother's wrath.

Hermione smiled and nodded, "Oh, yes. I got here not too long ago." She hugged her confused daughter, "Shall we go eat?"

Draco grinned, "This way to the dining hall, ladies."

Already situated at the large table was Narcissa Malfoy, "You're late. Dinner was supposed to be served at six."

Draco kissed his mother's cheek and let out a light laugh, "Yes, but everyone is here now." He took a seat next to her, at the head of the table. Presumably where Lucius once sat.

As Hermione moved to sit away from Draco, the two young girls raced in. Eva sat next to her grandmother, while Shyla sat across from her, leaving Hermione to sit directly across from a very intimidating Narcissa. She smiled awkwardly and sat down, placing her dark green napkin in her lap.

"Mother, I'm not sure if you ever met Miss Hermione Granger." Draco introduced.

Narcissa frowned, "I suppose I had to have met her at least once. I at least heard her name on a well established basis."

Hermione felt her hands tense, she hadn't felt this uncomfortable in such a long time. "Nar- um – Mrs. Malfoy?" For someone who was known for being so bright, she was having a ridiculous amount of difficulty forming words. "How are you this evening?"

Narcissa looked at Hermione as if she had suddenly turned into a Nargle. "I am fine, thank you."

Sensing Hermione's distress, Draco spoke up, "Mother? Did you meet Shyla? Hermione's daughter?"

Narcissa's demeanor changed when it came to Shyla. She smiled at the young girl, "We did. We had a nice opportunity to talk."

Draco smiled, "Good." He looked around, noticing their plates had still not been filled. "Maybe I should go check on the house elves."

"Sorry, Master Malfoy!" a quiet voice squeaked. "We should have had it finished earlier."

"That's quite alright, Jigsy." Draco replied, "And for the hundredth time, don't call me master."

The small, female house elf nodded quickly, "Sorry, sir." She levitated plates to each of them.

"I love mashed potatoes!" Shyla drooled loudly.

"Shyla." Hermione warned quietly.

"As much as you love Tripp?" Eva teased her friend.

Shyla's face flushed a bright red. "I am not in love with Tripp!" She yelled.

"Shyla!" Hermione warned again, only louder this time.

Draco choked on a bit of roast beef, "Tripp Browning? Shyla, he's too old for you."

"Tripp's my friend!" Shyla insisted, glaring at Eva. "Besides! I'm not the one that has a crush on Professor Medina!"

Eva glared back at Shyla, "I can't believe you said that!"

Draco laughed loudly, "I take that back about Tripp. Evangeline, he's too old for you."

"Dad!" Eva shouted.

"I can tell him, if you want me to." Draco teased, smiling at his daughter.

"Dad, no!" Eva groaned.

Hermione gave in and laughed, "Eva, it's okay. My second year at Hogwarts, all the girls were in love with Professor Lockhart."

"Woah!" Draco cried, waving a carrot stabbed on his fork. "You were in love with Lockhart?!"

"Who?" Eva and Shyla asked in unison.

Hermione gasped, "I never said that!"

In between the Draco and Hermione's arguing, Narcissa replied to the girls, "He was a beautiful man, Gilderoy Lockhart. Horrible, but beautiful."

Draco locked eyes with the bushy haired witch next to him, "You said, 'all the girls.' I believe that includes you."

"It was a generalization, Malfoy." Hermione snapped,

"You're a female, are you not?" Draco smirked.

"I never crushed on Lockhart. He was such a phony." Hermione flushed.

"Granger, answer the question."

"Malfoy!"

"Granger!"

"Fine, yes, I am a female. And as a female, I may or may not have found him attractive." Hermione gave up, rolling her eyes at the blond before her.

"Ha!" Draco yelled.

"You're impossible!" Hermione snapped.

"No need to be ashamed, Granger." Draco winked, enjoying the rise he was getting out of her.

"I'm ignoring you now." Hermione insisted, returning to her meal.

"You're such children." Narcissa scoffed.

"Awe, Mother, you know you enjoy it." Draco smirked, taking a bite of his carrot.

"What's going on in here?" A feminine voice asked.

"Talia." Draco breathed, turning to look at the slender blonde.

Hermione's heart sunk at the sight. She focused her gaze on her food.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Talia sauntered into the dining hall, and kissed Eva on the cheek. "It's my daughter's first evening home for the holidays. I have every right to spend it with her."

Eva wiped the sloppy kiss from her face.

"You're drunk." Draco accused.

Talia turned her eyes to Hermione and glared. "What is she doing here?"

Hermione's gaze flashed up. She felt her cheeks warm as a strong hand found its place on her knee.

"Miss Granger and her daughter are our guests." Draco stated through gritted teeth. "I invited them to stay for dinner."

"For Merlin's sake, she's in my seat!" Talia shrieked. Focusing back on Hermione she sneered, "I told you to stay away."

"Maybe we should go." Hermione said softly, placing her napkin on the table.

"No." Draco demanded a little too strongly. "Talia, I will not have this behavior in my home."

Talia began to loom over Draco, before he stood, towering over her in return. "_Your_ home?" She spat. "You live here for maybe three months out of the year. This is hardly your home."

This time, Narcissa rose. "Maybe not, but it is _my_ home. And in return, it is my son's home. You have interrupted my dinner, and I am not pleased. You will take your leave, now."

"I am your _wife._" Talia slurred angrily at Draco.

Draco gripped her upper arm, and led her out of the room.

Hermione heard only snippets of hushed anger coming from the hallway. Looking for a distraction, she glanced at Shyla's plate. "Eat your peas, Shyla."

Shyla made a face of disgust and groaned. "Peas are gross."

"The house elves went through all that trouble to make us dinner. Plus, we are guests here, eat what's on your plate." Hermione insisted.

"Draco refused to eat peas until he was sixteen." Narcissa commented.

Hermione shot the aging woman across from her a questioning look. Her gaze was broken when Draco reentered the room alone.

"Sorry about that. Let's finish eating. We still have desert." He sat down, and slyly placed his hand back on Hermione's leg before continuing his meal.

* * *

"Goodnight, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione bid, "It was nice to officially meet you. Under better circumstances, that is."

Narcissa gave Hermione a look of slight annoyance, "Honestly, we are adults. Just call me Narcissa."

Hermione nodded and smiled, "Okay, I will." She turned to Shyla, "Are you ready, Shy?"

Shyla nodded, "Yes."

Eva suddenly grabbed Shyla's arm. "Wait! You forgot that thing in my room."

Shyla eyed Eva, "What thing?"

Eva sighed, "You know..."

"Oh!" Shyla acknowledged, "We'll be right back!"

Hermione stood alone with Draco. She gave him a half smile, and he pulled her in close. "Draco, what if someone sees?" She whispered.

Eva closed the door to her bedroom behind her. "And you call yourself a Slytherin." She teased. "Honestly, took you long enough."

Shyla rolled her eyes, "Get on with it."

"Your mum's not mad."

"I know, it's weird." Shyla admitted.

"So, you ask her if I can stay for a few days, and I will ask my dad if we can spend the day in Diagon Alley tomorrow." Eva proposed.

Shyla nodded, "Okay."

Hermione pulled away from Draco's grasp, hearing footsteps on the stairs. Seeing the girls appear, she cleared her throat and smiled. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Oh," Shyla remembered, "yeah!" She turned to Draco, "Thank you for letting me come to your home."

Draco shrugged, "You're welcome here any time, Shyla."

Shyla smiled and bid goodbye to Eva as she stepped into the fireplace and was engulfed by the green flame.

"Thank you for dinner." Hermione said formally. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Granger." Draco replied softly, waving shortly as the woman before him followed her daughter through the fireplace.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh, I am sooo sorry! I hit a major writer's block, and school really bogged me down. But I am taking this Thanksgiving break to write a ton! As always, let me know what you think!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	19. A Day With You

**A/N: Towards the beginning of this chapter is a scene that is an homage to Gilmore Girls. When I originally had the idea for this story, it was called Granger Girls, and was very much a spin off of the tv show Gilmore Girls. Eventually, the story grew and shaped itself, but I still felt that I had to add in something to tie it to its roots. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 19: A Day With You**

"Mum?" Shyla asked cautiously.

"Shyla." Hermione responded, straightening the kitchen.

"Well, I was wondering if Eva could come stay with us for a few days." She sat on one of the stools at the counter.

Hermione sighed, and set down a bowl she had been wiping down. "Oh, Shyla, I don't know. Maybe Eva needs to spend some time with her family."

Shyla frowned, "Please, Mum?" Her voice began to raise in pitch, as it often did when she got worked up or frustrated. "Couldn't you just ask her dad to see? Eva really wants to come!"

"You really should be grounded, you know." Hermione pointed out.

"Should be or are?" Shyla asked quickly.

"Shyla," Hermione started, "What you did was completely disrespectful to your grandparents. They were worried sick about you! I completely ruined my interview with The Daily Prophet."

"I'm sorry." Shyla said quietly. "I was mad that you weren't going to pick me up."

"I know." Hermione frowned, "I wanted to be there so badly. Look, I won't ground you as long as you call your grandparents and apologize to them."

"Really?" Shyla asked, sitting up straight.

Hermione nodded, "Yeah.. I spent my holidays with Harry and Ron. I can't just ask you to just give up your friends." She handed her daughter her cell phone, "Call your grandmum."

Shyla took the phone, and went to her room, closing the door behind her.

Hermione turned her attention back to the bowl. Since Shyla left for school, she had taken to eating at the diner down the street. She opened her refrigerator and stared into the vast emptiness. She hated grocery shopping.

"Mum?" Shyla asked, opening her door a few minutes later. "Grandmum wants to talk to you."

Hermione took the phone and pressed it to her ear, "Hi Mum."

"_Will you and Shyla be joining us for Christmas morning?"_ Her mother asked over the phone.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" Hermione insisted, "We wouldn't miss it." She bid farewell and hung up the phone. "Well, your Grandmum seems happy."

Shyla nodded, "She was very understanding, and I just have to make it up to her by going shopping before I go back to school."

Hermione stared at her daughter in a strange amusement, "Wow."

"What?" Shyla insisted.

"They must really like you." She teased.

"Well, I _am_ their only granddaughter." Shyla pointed out. "Will you owl Professor Malfoy, now?"

Hermione sighed, "Fine." She kissed Shyla on the head and retreated to her own bedroom. She sat down at her small desk, and fumbled with her quill for a few minutes. Even after all of the years that had passed, Hermione still fretted over the possibility of owls being intercepted. This made most of her letters appear cold and direct. Yet, she feared this letter would be far worse than others. Fear that her lack of emotion in letter writing would come off as ignoring what happened that night. A part of her wanted to ignore it. To pretend it never happened. She knew that wouldn't work, though. Draco was persistent and determined. He was a Slytherin. He wasn't going to let her go easily. Finally, she swallowed her pride and wrote:

_Draco,_

_Shyla has inquired if Eva can come stay with us for a few days. I promise to return her to you for Christmas._

_-Hermione_

She cringed at her letter, but after staring at it for what felt like eternity, she gave up. That was as good as it was going to get. Hermione sealed the letter in an envelope, and attached it to Felrin's leg. The owl gave a small click of his beak, before flying into the night.

"Still awake?" She commented, seeing Shyla sitting on the couch with Wiskers.

"Yeah, I'll go to bed soon. I just wanted to hang out with Wiskers for a bit." Shyla smiled at her cat, and scratched behind his ear. "He likes Hogwarts. I had to leave him in Eva's room at the Malfoys. He hid under her bed the entire time." She laughed a little as Wiskers pawed at her hair.

"I'm not surprised. Infact, I don't know if the Malfoys have ever had a pet. You should ask." Hermione mentioned as she sat on the couch next to her daughter.

Shyla yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes, "I should go to bed."

Hermione hugged Shyla tightly, "I'm glad you're home, kid."

Shyla smiled, "Me too. Goodnight, Mum." She carried Wiskers to her room and shut her door quietly.

Hermione picked up a book while she waited for Draco's response. After reading the same page three times, she sighed and set the book aside. Just then, Felrin was accompanied by a large black owl. He stuck his leg out impatiently. Hermione took the letter and set out a bowl of water and a few treats for the owls.

_Hermione,_

_Eva can stay with you on one condition. Have lunch with us tomorrow. There's no harm in eating lunch in Diagon Alley. Shall we say noon at the cafe next to Ollivander's? I look forward to seeing you._

_-Draco_

Hermione sighed, lunch it was. She sent a quick reply of a mere 'okay.'

* * *

"Shyla." Hermione called, gently shaking the sleeping girl, "Time to wake up."

Shyla groaned and rolled over in her bed, "What time is it?"

"It's seven." Hermione informed.

"Mum!" Shyla yelled groggily, "Do you not understand the meaning of holiday break?" She pulled the blanket over her head, blocking out the sun that streamed through her window.

"But if you want Eva to come over, we need to get going." Hermione insisted, stealing the blanket off of Shyla's bed.

"Mum!" Shyla shrieked. "You're horrible!"

"Get up!" Hermione teased. "After you get dressed, you will get your blanket back."

Several minutes later, Shyla collapsed onto the couch, fully dressed. "What's for breakfast?"

"we're going to the diner down the street for breakfast." Hermione mentioned, handing Shyla her coat, "That's a nice sweater."

Shyla glanced down at her sweater, "Oh, yeah." It was light blue with white and silver snowflakes. "It's my 'I hope it snows' sweater. I think Aunt Katie got it for me." She put on her white coat with faux fur. "So does this mean there's no food in the fridge?"

Hermione laughed, "Exactly. After breakfast, we need to go to my office, and then we'll go to Diagon Alley, and have lunch with Eva and her dad."

At the diner, Hermione and Shyla situated themselves at a small table in the corner. Shyla had been there fairly regularly as a child, and enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of their street.

"Shyla!" A short lady with thick brown hair called out, "Are you home on break from school?"

"Mrs. Donaldson!" Shyla greeted, "It's nice to see you. And yes, I have a couple weeks from schooling."

Mrs. Donaldson hugged the girl and then turned to Hermione, "I can't believe you sent her off to boarding school! She's such a doll!"

Hermione smiled, "Well, it's hardly boarding school. I went there myself, sort of a tradition now, if you will."

"I bet it's a great school!" She smiled sweetly at Shyla and gave her another quick hug, "Well, ladies, I am off to the market. Enjoy your breakfast."

"Lukas!" Shyla cried out, seeing the man behind the counter.

"Oh, Shyla! It's good to see you!" Lukas replied while wiping down the counter. "Good morning Hermione. Coffee?"

"Coffee is much needed this morning!" Hermione agreed as the man came over to them.

He turned back to Shyla, "Does this mean your mother forgot to stock the fridge before you came home?"

Shyla nodded, giving the man before her large puppy eyes. He was a scruffy man, with unkempt light brown hair. He almost always wore a jersey from the London football team Arsenal. "How's your team doing?"

Lukas grinned, "They are fantastic! Game day tomorrow. What can I get for you two?"

"Pancakes!" Shyla declared, "Oh! With raspberry jam!"

"I'll have some bacon." Hermione shrugged casually.

"And?" Lukas inquired.

"Bacon."

"And?"

"More bacon." Hermione teased.

"That's it!" Lukas growled, "Shyla? How can you let your mother eat that way? You're getting eggs and toast and that's final!" He stormed back to the kitchen, leaving the Granger girls alone.

"Mum, you hate bacon." Shyla pointed out.

Hermione smiled slyly, "I know, but Lukas doesn't know that."

"You're just mean." Shyla sighed.

Hermione had gone on a couple dates with Lukas years before, when they had first moved into their flat. It was strange dating a muggle, yet nice to not have questions of the war oozing from his entire being. While he was a very nice man, she found that she had no desire to explain her background and her younger years.

Lukas brought them their food, with a side of bacon for Shyla. "Do not let her have any of that!"

* * *

"We won't be at the Ministry long, I just have to get a few things straightened out." Hermione told Shyla as they entered the elevator to her floor.

"That's okay, I wanted to catch up with Sienna, anyways." Shyla shrugged.

They exited onto their floor, and entered Hermione's department.

"Shyla!" Sienna called, looking up from a form she was filling out. "How's Hogwarts?"

Shyla grinned and sat on the edge of the secretary's desk, her feet dangling. "It's awesome! Did Mum tell you that I'm on the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

Sienna allowed her jaw to drop, even though she already knew. "That's so incredible! I bet you're the best one out there!" She smiled at Hermione, "How was dinner at the Malfoy residence?"

Hermione felt her ears burning, and hoped it didn't show on her face, "It was alright."

"We're going to have lunch with my friend Eva Malfoy and her dad, Professor Malfoy. He and Mum argue all the time though." Shyla interjected.

Sienna laughed in her girlish way. "How am I not surprised?"

Hermione shot Sienna a warning glance. "Shyla, I will be back in a few minutes, I have to go talk to some people about clearing up the mess of an interview I had yesterday."

Shyla briefly acknowledged her mum before turning back to Sienna. She waited for her mum to be out of ear shot before she spoke, "So, how badly did I mess things up for my mum?"

Sienna gave the girl a half smile, "Your mum is one of the Minister's most valued employees, it'll be okay."

Shyla nodded. She played with a quill on the desk in front of her for a moment before getting excited, "You should come to my next Quidditch match!"

Sienna grinned, "That sounds amazing! When is it?"

Shyla thought for a moment, "February. I can't remember the exact date, though. Maybe you could even go with Mum?"

Hermione walked back into the office, "Go where?"

"Oh!" Shyla exclaimed, "That was fast! But, I want you and Sienna to come to my next Quidditch match!"

Hermione smiled at Shyla's excitement, "When it gets closer, I will send an owl to McGonagoll." She turned to Sienna before continuing, "The Daily Prophet agreed to hold the interview again, due to the reason for leaving was a family matter."

"Oh, good!" Sienna replied. "I will call them, and set up an appointment."

"To Diagon Alley?" Shyla asked, bouncing lightly.

"To Diagon Alley!" Hermione responded, feeling butterflies begin in her stomach. Why was Draco Malfoy making her so nervous? It was beginning to aggravate her.

* * *

Hermione and Shyla entered the cafe in Diagon Alley. It was cozy, and decorated for Christmas. Splashes of red and green, and twinkling lights strung about. There was even a small tree in the corner. That was where she spotted Draco and Eva.

"You're late." Draco teased.

Hermione scoffed in annoyance, "I'm not late, you're just early."

"Shyla! Sit by me!" Eva insisted, gesturing her to join her side of the table at the booth.

Shyla's hair flowed behind her, as she sat next to Eva, leaving Hermione to sit, yet again, next to Draco. This was beginning to look less and less like a coincidence.

Draco made room on his bench for Hermione to sit. He smirked lightly at her without saying a word.

Hermione finally broke the silence between them, "So, what's good here?"

Draco handed the Granger girls each a menu, "The soup is really good. So are the sandwiches."

Eva chimed in as well, "I really like their cheese sandwiches!"

After a few moments, a plump waitress made her way to their table, "Mister Malfoy, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Hermione," Draco introduced, "this is Penny. She is our favorite waitress."

Penny blushed., her light wrinkles turning a soft pink. Her greying hair was tightly pinned against her head, and she wore a blue dress, with a white apron. She looked like a character out of a story. "Oh, you're too nice! But did you say Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, knowing where this was going.

"As in Hermione Granger?" Penny confirmed.

Hermione nodded again, "That would be correct."

"Oh, miss. It's such a pleasure to meet you." Penny breathed out.

Even after all of these years, Shyla had yet to get used to her mother practically being a celebrity.

Hermione smiled back, "It's nice to meet you too, Penny." She fumbled her hands under the table. She hated being recognized for her role in the war. It brought back too many horrible memories and associations.

Draco sensed her discomfort, and decided to begin the ordering process. Once Penny had left, he slyly grabbed her hands in her lap, to stop her from wringing them.

Hermione froze at the touch. She clenched her hands. They were in public. What could he possibly be thinking?

Draco held onto Hermione's hands until she relaxed them in defeat.

"Dad?" Eva suddenly asked, "Can Shyla and her mum come to our party on Christmas Eve?"

He smirked, "Yeah, that's a good idea!" He looked at Hermione, "You did say you would bring Evangeline back before Christmas."

Hermione sighed, "You hold parties on Christmas Eve?"

Draco grinned, "Every year! The Malfoy Christmas Party is the highlight of the season!"

"Please, Mum!" Shyla begged, "It sounds like fun!"

"We're going to your Grandparents Christmas morning." Hermione reminded, "We wouldn't be able to stay late, by any means."

"Come." Draco insisted.

"I still don't know." Hermione shook her head.

"Come." He persisted.

"Oh, look! The food is ready!" Hermione cried out, changing the subject.

After the finished their lunch, the four of them began to walk through Diagon Alley, mostly enjoying the sights, and the decorations in the shop windows.

"Mum?" Shyla asked, "Can I take Eva to see Uncle Fred's and Uncle George's shop?"

Hermione shot Draco a glance, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea.

"Go." Draco insisted, "We'll meet up in a little bit. You two behave yourselves."

"Thanks!" Eva and Shyla said in unison. They erupted into a fit of giggles, as Shyla led Eva to the shop.

"Fred and George are good people, I don't think they will give them any trouble." Hermione tried to reason.

"Come with me." Draco whispered to Hermione, grabbing her hand, and pulling her into a darkened alley.

"Draco!" Hermione protested.

He had her backed against the cold brick wall. He kissed her gently. "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"Draco, anybody could see us." Hermione insisted, trying to keep herself for kissing him further.

"So let them." He kissed her forehead, taking the opportunity to smell her hair. "Just, don't worry about the logical thing to do, right now."

"Wait... Are we, um, dating?" Hermione questioned, unsure of what answer she wanted.

"Do you want to?" He asked back, pulling her closer.

She thought for a moment. It didn't help when he insisted in kissing her behind the ear, though. "Yes." She finally decided. Emotions won this round. "But, just out of personal morals, it cannot be public while you remain married. I just... I can't..."

He nodded, understanding. "Okay."

Hermione looked up at him, "Okay?"

"I'll take care of it." He replied quietly, kissing her one last time. "Wait, you're still willing to be seen with me in public, right?"

She laughed lightly, "Yes, now let's go. I need to get something for Shyla while we're here."

"Good, you can help me pick something out for Eva." Draco admitted, "That kid is hard to shop for."

Hermione smiled, "Any ideas, at least?"

"A pet?" He shrugged.

"Let's go to the pet shop then." They walked together, Hermione keeping her distance, Draco trying to close that distance.

As they entered the shop, a bell above the door chimed. They began looking at the different options. "What about one of these guys?" Draco asked, pointing at a cage of rats.

"Oh, Draco. A rat is no pet for a young girl." Hermione insisted.

"Well, why not? They're cute, right? Look at those little whiskers!" Draco admired.

She could tell Eva was not one for rats, but worried that Draco would get her one regardless. Then she stooped, "Besides, Ron had a rat, remember?"

Draco straightened from looking at the small critters, "Moving on!" They moved to the cats. "Shyla has a cat, right?"

Hermione nodded, "His name is Wiskers. I also had a cat while I was at Hogwarts."

"I didn't know that." Draco admitted.

"Well, we weren't exactly friends while we were in school, now were we?" She teased him.

"Yeah, that would have been weird." Draco teased back. He found a small, grey kitten with dark stripes. "What about this one?"

"He's adorable!" Hermione cooed, scratching the small cat's chin. "That's a good choice."

As they were finishing their purchase, and Draco was finishing arrangements to have the kitten delivered Christmas morning, the door chimed again.

"Hermione Granger? Is that really you?" A woman with brown hair cried out, as she embraced Hermione in a hug.

Hermione stood there awkwardly, trying to recognize this girl before her. Once she was released from the perfume filled grasp, she got a better look. "Lavender?"

"It has been such a long time! We must catch up!" Lavender Brown gushed.

Draco hadn't noticed the company that had entered when he walked up to Hermione, "Ready?"

Lavender's eyes got large at the sight before her. "Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy spending time with each other? I would have never imagined!"

Hermione went into near panic mode. "Our daughters are friends. We were just about to catch up with them. But it was nice to see you Lavender." She tried to leave the store without another word. But as always, Lavender was a snoop.

"The fact that you two are getting along, and sharing each others company is rather odd." Lavender stated. It was obvious that rumors were already forming in her head.

"Well, Lavender, _some_ people mature with age." Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Could you only imagine what Ron would say?" Lavender responded.

Hermione's fists tightened, and she turned, leaving the shop before she said, or did, anything she would regret.

"Was it something I said?" Lavender feigned.

Draco stared at her in disbelief before following Hermione out of the shop. She was sitting on a nearby bench, trying to hide the tears that streaked her cheeks. "Forget her, Hermione. She had no right to say that."

"But she was right." Hermione sobbed, "Ron was furious of even the thought of us being friends. Let alone, in a relationship. It would have destroyed him."

Draco sat next to her, and pulled her into him. Right now, she didn't care that they were out in the open. "Do you remember that night when Potter and Weasley were on watch? And things went a lot further than either of us intended?"

Hermione's forehead creased, and she looked at him in confusion, "Of course. But what about it?"

"After we got dressed, I stayed with you until you fell asleep, then I went outside for some fresh air." He sighed deeply before continuing, "They were bringing back some firewood that they had collected, and saw me. When I didn't insult Weasley on site, they started questioning."

"_Shouldn't you be sleeping, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, throwing down the wood._

"_I was getting some fresh air." Draco responded, shrugging it off. "Aren't you two supposed to be on watch?"_

"_Do you love her?" Harry asked suddenly, locking eyes with Draco._

"_I don't know." Draco responded quietly._

"_Who?" Ron demanded loudly._

"_Think about it, Ron!" Harry nearly shouted, "Are you that blind? It's completely obvious, the way she looks at him."_

_Ron's eyes got wide and his face turned a deep red, "I'll kill you!" He growled, lunging at Draco, and landing a punch to his jaw._

_Draco grabbed Ron's wrists, and shoved him away, "If you wake her up, she'll be furious at all of us. And if in the morning your face is swollen, she'll blame me. So get off me."_

_Harry stepped in between them, and glared at Draco persistently, "If you hurt her, I will destroy you." He turned to Ron this time, "Don't you dare say a word to her. We need her now more than ever, and you and I both know that she's not saying anything for a reason. If we attack her with questions, she's going to get mad at us. Just, for now, leave it."_

_Draco turned to go back into the tent, before Harry stopped him._

"_I want to talk to you, Malfoy." Harry informed. Ron had stormed away, as Draco turned back to Harry. "I don't know what Hermione sees in you, but for some reason, you make her happy."_

"_Look, Potter. I don't know what she sees in me either, and anything between us was the last thing I ever intended. But for some reason, I can't get her out of my head. Besides, I don't even know what love is."_

_The two stood in silence. They were nearly men. Men who had been enemies for years. Draco shrugged in the darkness and turned again, to enter the tent._

"_It's the feeling that you can't live without someone in your life. Someone who has made you happier than you could have ever perceived." Harry replied quickly._

_Draco nodded slowly, and entered the tent. He crossed to Hermione's bed. She was sleeping peacefully. He sat silently with her, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. He wasn't sure how long he had sat there, but finally he leaned down and left a soft kiss against Hermione's lips. "I think I love you." he finally whispered._

"I don't know how Potter figured it out, but he did. He confronted me on the matter, and I didn't deny it. I couldn't deny it. But Weasley was there, and well, needless to say, he found out." Draco admitted.

Hermione eyed him curiously, "How long did they know?"

"It was a week before the war." Draco said softly. "Weasley took it better than I would have ever guessed. My only assumption was that Potter had talked some sense into him."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Hermione whispered.

"I didn't know how." Draco admitted.

Hermione understood. She hadn't even told her two best friends about her relationship with Draco. She had kept it a secret the entire time. She had planned to tell them, after the war. But she never got the opportunity, and she had lived with that consequence. Hermione dried her face, and stood slowly. "We should go find the girls."

They entered Weasley Wizard Wheezes to find that while it had a moderate amount of shoppers, it was not overly crowded. "There they are." Draco pointed out. He had never been in the Weasley's shop. It had always seemed like a waste of energy.

"Hermione!" George called out, racing to her. "I was hoping you would stop by one of these days!"

Hermione greeted him with a hug, and smiled, "I wish it had been sooner. The ministry keeps me quite busy this time of year. Oh, um, George, you remember Draco Malfoy?" She gestured to the blonde next to her.

George nodded in surprise, "Wow, yeah, it's been a long time. How are you, man?" He stuck out his hand as a gesture of friendliness.

Draco shook George's hand without a hesitation, "It's good to see you, again."

"Oh, Shyla's in the back with Fred. Am I to assume that her friend is your daughter?" He asked Draco.

Draco nodded, "My one and only."

"I'll go grab them." George offered, slipping away.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered into Draco's ear, reaching on her tiptoes.

"We forgot to get something for Shyla." Draco suddenly remembered.

"Merlin..." Hermione laughed, "Now what am I going to do?"

"Go. Hurry." Draco encouraged, "I'll distract the girls while you're away."

"Are you sure? I feel weird leaving you in the Weasley's shop." Hermione worried.

"Go. I'll be fine." He insisted, pushing her out the door.

"Where's my mum going?" Shyla asked as she and Eva reached Draco.

"Oh, she forgot to get something, she'll be back shortly." He smiled at the girls, "I think I need a tour of this place. Care to give me one?"

Shyla grinned, "I have been here so many times! I can give you a tour!"

He gestured for her to begin, following the two young girls as they found their way to each display.

"Shyla?"

Shyla turned quickly to see Molly Weasley standing before her. She wasn't sure what to call her. "Um, hi."

"What are you doing here, with him?" She gestured to Draco, her eyes formed into slits.

"He's Eva's dad." Shyla said innocently.

"Mum! You're early!" Fred called out, kissing his mother on the cheek.

"Early or not, you allowed_ him_ in your shop?" Molly gasped.

"Oh no." Hermione breathed, as she returned.

"Yup..." Arthur Weasley replied beside her.

"Arthur, hello." Hermione said politely, giving him a short hug.

"Any chance you and Shyla will be joining us for Christmas Eve dinner?" Arthur asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I don't think that would be a good idea. Plus, I believe we have plans this year. But, thank you, really."

He smiled, "Yeah, I know. It was worth a shot, though. I miss you and Shyla being around."

Hermione smiled back, "I've missed you too. But I think I should go stop this." She gestured to Draco being confronted by Molly, and raced over. "He's with me, Molly." She turned to Draco, placing her hand on his wrist. "We should go."

George cleared his throat before adding, "You're both welcome any time, please don't hesitate to stop by."

Hermione smiled at Fred and George before leaving the joke shop with Draco, Shyla, and Eva. "I did not expect that, I am so sorry!" Hermione told Draco.

Draco smiled at her, "It's really not a big deal, I can handle Molly Weasley."

Shyla burst into laughter, "Not even Grandpa Weasley can handle her some days!"

"That poor, poor man." Draco teased, winking at Shyla. He turned to Hermione, "I should be going, I have some places to run in preparation for Christmas Eve. That's three days away, you know."

"What time?" Hermione caved.

"You're coming then?" Draco asked excitedly.

"What time?" Hermione asked again, locking eyes with Draco.

"Seven." He took every ounce of self control to not kiss her again, but with the girls standing right next to them, he resisted. "It's nothing overly fancy, but it's not completely casual either." He smiled slyly, "Wear something nice."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter practically wrote itself. A couple scenes I hadn't planned out at all, until I was typing them. But I really liked the results. I am really looking forward to writing the next chapter. It will hopefully be posted in a couple days! Happy Holidays to everyone!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	20. Changing Traditions

Chapter 20: Changing Traditions

Initially, Eva had teased Shyla about her small home. She remarked how it was the size of a match box, or that Yet, it didn't take long for it to feel like an actual home. It was much more friendly, cozy, and warm than the Malfoy Manor. It was full of Christmas spirit, with white tinkly lights strewn across the rooms. A small pine tree sat in the corner, covered in glittering ornaments, and bewitched lights that looked like fairies.

Shyla and Eva had decorated the tree, as Eva called it, the muggle way. The girls giggled as they danced around the loft to the radio. It was playing Christmas music by popular Wizard Rock bands. Wiskers even joined in on the fun, attacking a ball of tinsel, spreading the silver strands across the room. Eva had never decorated a tree this way, and found it to be quite enjoyable. Typically, her father hired a witch to come and decorate the Manor. It was what the Malfoys had always done.

The morning of Christmas Eve came all too quickly. Shyla loved having Eva visiting, it kept her distracted from missing the Weasley family's traditions. Normally, Hermione and Shyla would spend Christmas Eve night at the Burrow. They would have a large feast, enjoying a glazed ham, potatoes, and a variety of pies. All of the grandchildren would open a small present that night before bed. Followed by Christmas morning, where all of the Weasleys would gather to open presents, and enjoy the holiday.

Shyla found herself awake before Eva, so she quietly slipped from her room.

"Morning, Shy." Hermione greeted, passing her a mug of warm cider. "Is Eva still sleeping?"

Shyla sipped from the mug and sighed with content, "Thank you. And yes, Eva is still crashed out. We were up late talking last night, but I just couldn't sleep any longer. I am far too excited!"

"Excited?" Hermione teased, "Why on Earth would you be excited? It's not like you're getting any presents."

Shyla let out an exasperated sigh, "Mum. Really?" When Hermione feigned dumb, Shyla continued, "The Malfoy Christmas party?!"

"Oh, that's tonight?" Hermione attempted not to laugh at Shyla's reaction.

"Yes, Mum! It's tonight! We can't be late!" Shyla insisted. She took another sip, and pet Wiskers as he jumped onto the chair at the counter. "What are you wearing tonight?"

Hermione shrugged, "I really hadn't given it much thought." She lied. "I was just going to throw something on."

Shyla's eyes got large, "Mum! Professor Malfoy said to wear something nice! The Malfoys' level of nice, is a lot higher than our level of nice." She sighed, and rolled her eyes at her supposedly adult mother, "Eva and I will help you pick something out."

"Shyla, I appreciate the offer, but I am not going to let two eleven-year-old girls dress me. I am a grown woman, I can pick something out by my self." She watched as her daughter grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill. "What are you doing now?"

"Writing Tonks." Shyla stated, as she began to write furiously. "If you won't accept my help, you'll accept Tonks' help."

"Shyla..." Hermione warned. "Is that really a wise move the day before Christmas?"

"Yes." Shyla responded casually, "At this point, you have already purchased my presents and wrapped them. It would be awkward to open my presents yourself just to return them. That and you'd give up, and just give them to me anyways."

"Wow. What are they teaching you at Hogwarts?" Hermione gaped. "What happened to the innocent little girl that behaved herself?" She stuck her tongue out playfully.

Shyla ignored her mother's question, and crossed the living room to Felrin, "Hey buddy. Take this to Tonks, okay?" She opened the window, allowing a cold breeze to flow inside. It wasn't snowing at the present, but there was a soft coat of fresh snow on the ground below. London was beautiful at Christmas. In the early morning, there were still houses and buildings decorated with muggle-style Christmas decorations, and she could here Christmas bells ringing in the distance.

Felrin let out a small chirp as he flew out the window, the note tied to his leg.

It was only a mere thirty minutes later that there was a loud pop that came from the living room. "Tonks!" Shyla cried out excitedly, running to the woman she considered an aunt.

Tonks had short black hair this time, with red streaks throughout it. "Shyla! Where's your mum with this _crisis of fashion_, as you called it?" Her hair was chin length today, blonde with red streaks of varying shades.

Shyla smiled innocently, "She's in her bedroom."

Tonks walked to Hermione's room and tapped on the door, "I'm coming in, Hermione!"

Hermione was laying on the bed, and sat up when Tonks entered. "I'm going to kill my daughter."

Tonks rolled her eyes, "You and I both know that she made the right choice in not letting you handle these decisions on your own." She smiled and sat next to her best friend, "Where are you guys going anyways? Christmas Eve was generally dinner with the Weasleys."

Hermione bit her lip, "Well, not this year."

"Where?" Tonks persisted.

Hermione ignored her, and allowed herself to fall back onto her bed, letting out a girlish squeal.

"Where?" Tonks asked more demanding this time.

"Draco Malfoys." Hermione squeaked out, trying to hide her face with her arms.

"Merlin, Hermione! You have obviously left out some very important details as to how and why!" Tonks poked Hermione in the shin, in a silent way of telling her to start talking. She sat on the bed next to her best friend, staring at her intently.

Hermione sat up, yet again and let out an exasperated sigh, "My dearest daughter went home with Draco and his daughter, Eva, when the Hogwarts Express came in. She was _supposed_ to go home with my parents, since I had an interview with the Daily Prophet. So when I found out, Draco insisted I come to dinner." She paused, her face flushing, "And I did."

"Continue..." Tonks urged.

Hermione's face had turned a lovely shade of pink, and she bit her lower lip again, "And we kissed."

"MIONE!" Tonks shouted.

"Shhhh!" Hermione said, nearly slapping her hand over Tonks' mouth. "Shyla cannot find out! At least not yet!"

"Merlin, Hermione, how did that happen?" Tonks asked, lowering her voice, leaning in with anticipation.

Hermione shrugged, trying to downplay the whole evening. "He admitted to still having feelings for me after all these years. It was snowing outside, and apparently I lost all control of the logic part of my brain."

Tonks smiled, "Did you at least enjoy the kiss?"

Hermione nearly squealed with school girl emotions flying around her stomach. "I can definitely say that I never felt that with any of the other men I dated over the years. But it's complicated." When Tonks just stared at her, she continued, "Draco's married."

"Oops." Tonks breathed.

"Yeah..." Hermione concurred. "He insists that they have been in an open relationship for years, but his wife didn't seem to feel that way when she came in during dinner, and completely flipped at the sight of me being there."

"Did you tell him it wasn't going to work?" Tonks asked, prying for more information.

"I was going to. Until he insisted we have lunch in Diagon Alley with our daughters. Since Eva is staying with us currently." Hermione explained. "He invited us to come to the Malfoy Christmas Party, that they apparently hold every year. I was going to say no..."

"But?" Tonks refused to let Hermione leave out any important pieces of information.

"Well, the girls went to Fred and George's shop, and he pulled me into a back alley, and yet again, I turned into a pile of mush when he kissed me. I told him I refused to be public with our relationship - if that's what you call it - until he is divorced." Hermione hated becoming that girl. She never intended to be the other woman.

"Hermione?" Tonks finally asked, "Have you told-"

"No." Hermione quickly replied, cutting her off.

"When are you?"

"When I know that this isn't just old feelings being drudged up." Hermione reasoned, mostly with herself. "It's just, we haven't been alone for more than a few minutes here and there. I can't just dump that on him."

"The longer you put it off, the madder he's going to be." Tonks sighed.

"I know." Hermione said, barely audible.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Tonks absorbing everything that had happened. She finally stood, "Well, let's see what you have in your closet. I can't allow you to go to a party like that wearing something you would wear to work."

Hermione opened her modestly sized closet and sighed, "Have at it."

Tonks scanned through the clothes, making noises of disapproval. "Wait here." She apparated on the spot, leaving Hermione alone in her bedroom. It wasn't long before Tonks had reapparated in front of her though. "Remus will be here shortly, and he'll keep an eye on the girls, and then we're going shopping."

"Tonks! It's Christmas Eve! We can't go shopping today! Every where will be a mad house!" Hermione reasoned.

"Then why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Tonks snapped back, playfully.

Hermione glared at her friend, and relocated to the kitchen, where she offered Tonks a fresh cup of coffee. Tonks started to accept than stared at Hermione, "You make a terrible cup of coffee. We will get one in town."

"Shyla?" Hermione called, ignoring Tonks. "Tonks and I are going shopping. Remus is going to be here shortly to stay with you and Eva."

"Mum!" Shyla protested, "Eva and I don't need a baby sitter!"

"Maybe so, but Remus adores you, and he wanted to spend some time with you while you're home on holiday." Hermione replied in the way that often makes one give up in trying to reason.

"Fine." Shyla pouted, slumping onto the couch, Eva sat next to her, and pulled Wiskers onto her lap, stroking his black fur.

Once Remus arrived, Shyla had ended her sulking and hugged the man. He produced a small package out of his pocket, "Happy Christmas." He whispered to her.

Shyla smiled politely, "Thank you! Do I have to wait until tomorrow?"

Remus raised his eyebrows, "You really are your mother's daughter. Open it!"

Shyla tore the paper that enclosed the box. Inside the box was a necklace with a small golden snitch dangling from a delicate silver chain. "It's so pretty! Thank you!" She immediately put it on, and called Eva over to show it off.

"So you're Draco Malfoy's daughter then?" Remus asked Eva.

She nodded, taking note of the man's unmanaged hair, "Do you know my dad?"

Remus let out a light laugh, "I taught him when he was a third year. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Let's just say he was a confident young man."

Eva smirked, "That sounds like, Dad."

"Mum and I lived with Remus and Tonks when I was really little. Before we moved here." Shyla explained to Eva.

Eva got a mischievous look on her face before turning back to Remus, "Did you know Shyla's dad?"

Remus eyed Eva, choosing his words carefully. "That's not my place to say, now is it?"

* * *

**AN: Wow, I am so incredibly sorry... I had this chapter written 5 months ago, seriously... But then some personal stuff came up, and I just hit a massive writers block. Then the semester started. Guess how many essays I wrote last semester... Ready for it? SIXTEEN! This, boys and girls, is why I am not an English major. I seriously wrote, rewrote, and rewrote this chapter again. I have enough typed for another chapter or two, I just need to do major rereading, and editing. But for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you in a week at most! I will get started on the revision of the next chapter(s) today! Love to all! And thank you for your patience and support!**

**~PurplePygmypuff**


	21. The Annual Malfoy Christmas Party

Chapter 21: The Annual Malfoy Christmas Party

Hermione nervously straightened her dress. Shopping with Tonks had been quite the adventure, but resulted in a dress that was Malfoy party appropriate. She wore a knee length red dress layered with a black lace over the top. The red fabric stopped above her chest, leaving the soft black lace to cover her shoulders. The dress was fitted to her waist, and then lightly flared out to her knees. Hermione was glad that Tonks had a good sense of fashion, if it had been her, she would have just worn a blouse with black slacks. Something she would have worn to work.

Her hair flowed in graceful waves, a very casual look, yet elegant against the dress. Tonks had even done Hermione's makeup. Her lips were a soft red, and her eyes left with neutral browns, as to not make her look too done up. She fixed her hair casually in the mirror before stepping away.

"Shyla, are you ready to go?" Hermione asked, stepping into Shyla's open doorway.

"Oh, Mum!" Shyla admired, "You look fantastic!"

Eva nodded, she was impressed at how well the woman before her cleaned up. "My dad will think so too."

Hermione eyed Eva carefully, "Um- thank you?" There wasn't a chance that the girls new about their secret. Shyla would have hounded her if there was. "Let's take the floo network. Eva, why don't you go first."

Shyla wore a black dress with capped sleeves that went a little past her knees. It was a simple cut, and had a silver sash around the waist. Her Grandma Granger had given it to her the prior Christmas, yet she had only recently grown into it. Her hair was down, and perfectly straightened. For some reason, Hermione thought it looked a lighter shade than it had been in the past. But, she ignored it, assuming it was just the lighting in the room.

Eva had on a light pink dress that resembled something a fairy would wear. Her hair was also left long, yet her hair was a bit longer than Shyla's. Eva had grown up with extravagant parties and gatherings. She looked natural in fancy clothing, and only looked mildly excited. Eva stepped into the fire place and casually said, "Malfoy Manor." She was engulfed in green flames, and then gone from sight.

"Go ahead, Shy." Hermione gestured. "I'll be right behind you."

Shyla turned to her mum and smiled, "Mum, you're nervous, I can tell. Eva said these parties are really rather casual, with just a bunch of Professor Malfoy's old classmates."

Hermione felt a lump in her throat. She hadn't thought of that. She swallowed her fear and smiled at Shyla. "I'm sure I'll be okay. Now, we don't want to keep Eva waiting."

Butterflies fluttered around her stomach once it was her turn to transport. But, before she could even think about canceling, she was standing in the Malfoy Manor, and climbing out of the fire place.

"Dinner's in thirty minutes!" Draco called after Shyla and Eva as they ran off to leave their parents alone. He turned to Hermione and smiled. "You look amazing."

Hermione blushed. She felt silly. "I am beginning to feel that I am overdressed." She noticed his own attire. Draco wore long sleeve grey button down shirt and black slacks. The top few of his shirt was unbuttoned, and the sleeves were rolled to his elbows, giving him a very casual look.

Draco smirked, "If anything, I'm under-dressed for my own party." He looked her over again, smiling.

She smiled back at him as he peaked around, making sure there were no unwanted onlookers. When satisfied that they were alone, he gently kissed Hermione, breathing in her scent. He sighed, "You smell amazing too."

Hermione laughed, "Now, where's this party of yours?"

Draco intertwined their fingers and led her to an over-sized sitting room. It felt so nice to be holding hands with him, that Hermione didn't even worry about other people seeing. "Look who's joined us!" Draco announced removing his hand from hers, and setting it on the small of her back.

"Bloody hell! It's Hermione Granger!" He was a tall man with dark skin who responded first. He had a short glass in his hand, with a honey colored liquid. A scotch, no doubt.

Hermione felt every urge to run, but instead, she walked up to the man confidently, "Hello, Zabini. You certainly haven't changed much."

What Blaise did next surprised Hermione. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Hermione stood awkwardly, hoping he would release.

"Ignore him, he's already had too much to drink." A bored female called from one of the couches in the room. "He'll sober up a little once dinner's served."

Draco casually released Hermione from Blaise's grasp and let his arm hang around Hermione's shoulder. "You remember Pansy, yeah?" He asked, pointing to the women before them.

Pansy smirked and patted the seat next to her, "Sit, Granger. We obviously must catch up." Her hair sat on her shoulders, and was lightly curled. Yet it was still black as a raven. Pansy had aged extremely well. But Hermione wasn't sure if it was natural or not.

Hermione accepted Pansy's invitation and sat, leaving Draco to attend to his other guests. "Pansy, you look amazing!" She said politely, making small talk.

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Come on, Granger, you and I both know why I invited you to sit with me."

Hermione eyed her, "We do, huh?"

"How did you get invited to Draco's Christmas party?" Pansy insisted. She was watching Draco as he stood at the bar in the corner, mixing drinks.

Hermione should have known she would be questioned thoroughly. "Well, my daughter happens to be in his house, and she and Eva have become rather good friends."

Pansy's eyes got wide, "Hermione Granger's daughter is a Slytherin?" She burst into laughter. "Tell me, was that the biggest shocker of a life time?"

Hermione held her breath momentarily, ignoring the snide in Pansy's voice. "Not really. I raised my daughter to be independent and a free thinker. The only house sorting that would have surprised me is her being placed into Hufflepuff. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Hufflepuff."

"Well, if she made it into Slytherin, you must have raised her well." Pansy scoffed. "I imagine we will be meeting her tonight?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, she is with Eva right now. Now tell me, do you have any children of your own?"

Pansy smiled, it was a strange sight. "That's my husband, Joe." She said pointing to a thin man with short brown hair. "We have two children, Tony, he's six, and Olivia, she's only three. They're with their grandparents tonight."

Hermione smiled, "Three was a fun age. Shyla was curious about everything." It was strange talking to Pansy Parkinson, on Christmas Eve, about their children. Not something that could have ever been predicted. The women continued to catch up, even catching themselves laughing on occasion.

"Hey!" Draco called as his friend, Theodore Nott, entered the room. "Good to see you, Nott!" He embraced the woman beside Nott in a hug, "Ellie, so glad you came."

Nott stared into the room before turning back to Draco. "Drake, is that who I think it is?"

Draco smirked, "If you're thinking it's Granger, then you're correct."

"How? Why?" Nott stammered.

"Who?" Ellie asked, taking her fiance's hand in her own.

Nott nearly laughed, "Hermione Granger... Damn... She was in our year at Hogwarts. But the fact that she and Draco are on good enough terms to be seen in the same room, without killing each other? That's a bloody miracle that is."

Ellie smiled, "Well, you know what they say."

Nott looked at the woman beside him. She had long blonde hair, pulled back into a low ponytail. Her dress was long, and dark blue, making her look taller than she actually was. "What's that Ellie?"

"Just that opposites attract." Ellie had noticed the way Draco kept glancing at Hermione. She was very perceptive when it came to the way people interacted with each other.

Nott laughed, "Cute, but not a chance. Now tell us, why _is_ she here?"

Draco chuckled softly. "Our daughters are friends, so I invited them both."

"Granger!" Nott called across the room, "You have a kid?!"

Hermione sighed and glanced at Pansy, "Nott?"

Pansy nodded and crossed the room with Hermione, so she could experience the conversation first hand.

"Hello, Nott." Hermione greeted, "And yes, I do have a daughter."

"Bloody hell, that's weird."

"What's so weird about it?" Hermione questioned, "Eva is the same age."

"Draco having a kid is still weird!" Nott justified.

Blaise and Joe had joined them at this point, not wanting to miss anything.

Draco patted his friend on the back and shrugged, "Yeah, and we never thought we'd see you settle down with a lovely, and polite woman. Let alone any woman." He playfully winked at Ellie. "Well, since we're all standing here, we should adjourn to the dining hall. Dinner will be served shortly."

"Will Talia be joining us, Draco?" Ellie asked, taking Draco's arm.

Hermione's stomach clenched in anticipation of the answer. Another factor she had forgotten to think of.

Draco shook his head. "Talia is spending the holidays with her sister in Venice."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, even though Ellie seemed rather disappointed. "Won't Eva miss having her mum home for Christmas?"

Draco shrugged, "Not really." He glanced over at Hermione and instantly used her as a way to change the subject. "Hermione, this is Ellie, she is engaged to Nott."

Hermione was glad she wasn't eating, otherwise she surely would have choked. "I am actually impressed."

Ellie smiled, and continued to walk with Hermione to the dining hall. "When I was first introduced to this lot, three years ago, they were sure that I was either a prostitute, or clinically insane." She laughed, "But really, Ted is a wonderful man. He is kind, and loving."

Hermione stared at Ellie, "You're not joking are you?"

She shook her head, "But don't tell him I told you, it would ruin his reputation, so he says."

Hermione smiled, glad to see that Nott had matured and grown into a good person. "Your secret is safe with me."

Shyla and Eva had caught up with the adults in the dining hall. "Mum!" Shyla called, "You have to sit here." Pushing her mother to sit in the seat beside Draco.

Hermione stared at her daughter, "We have assigned seating, do we?"

Shyla sighed, desperately trying to make up a reason. "Well, I want to sit next to Eva. And if you sit elsewhere, Eva and I won't be able to sit together. So, yes."

As Hermione took her seat, Pansy spoke up. "So, this is your daughter?"

Hermione nodded, "This is Shyla."

"Look at those two!" Ellie pointed out, "Eva and Shyla could practically be sisters!"

"I don't see it." Pansy admitted.

"It's the subtle features." Ellie explained. "When I was growing up, my best friend and I looked so alike, people often confused us. It's such fun to see that in these two girls!"

Pansy still disagreed, "It's like a mini Granger, only with straight hair. And she's in Slytherin... That is still really weird."

"So what do you two like doing at Hogwarts?" Ellie asked sweetly.

Shyla started, as they received the appetizers from the house elves. "I'm on the Quidditch team, so that takes up most of my free time."

Blaise pitched in this time, "You're a first year, yeah? That is impressive. What position do you play?"

Shyla was enjoying the attention, "Seeker."

Nott glanced at Draco and scoffed, "You've gone soft, man. Letting first years on the Quidditch team."

Draco laughed, "I gave the okay for her to try out, but Shyla earned her way onto the team." He playfully tapped Hermione's foot with his under the table.

The appetizer consisted of a smooth cheese spread with pieces of french bread. Hermione complimented one of the house elves who was filling wine glasses, "This is delicious, thank you!"

"Typical, Granger." Pansy laughed. "Eva, what about you?"

"I love Hogwarts, and being a Slytherin." Eva said simply. "It's a lot of fun." She took a sip of the sparkling cider before her. While some of her friends were allowed to drink wine at Christmas, Draco had strict rules that kept her from doing the same.

"Draco, won't your mother be joining us?" Blaise asked, noticing that Narcissa wasn't joining them for dinner. "She always makes things liven up!"

Draco laughed, "I invited her to join us, but she decided she wanted a quiet evening with a book. She may join us for drinks later, though." He leaned over to Hermione and whispered, "In actuality, Blaise hits on everything that moves when he's been drinking, and finds it horrendously annoying."

Hermione stifled a laugh with her napkin.

Nott stared intently at Draco and Hermione, "Oi! It looks like you two are flirting over there. Care to share what's so funny with the rest of us?"

Draco ignored the comment of flirting and responded, "Just saying that Zabini flirts with everything after a few drinks."

Nott nodded, "Well, that's true."

Blaise looked offended. He sat next to Hermione and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, there are some things I wouldn't flirt with. But this fine lady is not one of them. Because I would totally flirt with her!" He even actually giggled after that.

Pansy groaned and hid her face in her hand, "Blaise, we are not seventeen anymore."

Eva leaned over to Shyla, "Uncle Blaise gets so funny when he drinks. I don't know why the adults think he's annoying."

Blaise laughed, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have hit the year we turn thirty!"

Pansy groaned again, "Don't remind me!" She turned to Nott, "How does it feel? Being thirty, that is."

Nott just stared at her, "Like it did when I was twenty-nine. Besides, Parkinson, you're next."

Hermione cringed. She had hit the thirty mark three months prior. Tonks had insisted on having a small dinner with themselves, Remus, and Hermione's parents. It was rather uneventful, but a nice evening. She knew if Draco found out, he wouldn't let her hear the end of it.

And then Shyla spilled the beans. "Mum turned thirty in September."

Hermione shot Shyla a death glare from across the table.

Draco let out a laugh, "Granger! You hadn't told me!" He was now in full tease mode.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I didn't realize I had to inform you."

"Wait a moment, I just realized something. You were eighteen when you had Shyla!" Blaise shouted.

Hermione scoffed, "Oh look, he can actually do math after drinking. And here I thought that drinking lowered the intelligence of consumers."

The table of people laughed. It was a strange occurrence to enjoy a meal with several Slytherins. Before she knew it, they had enjoyed a nice rum glazed ham, with baked potatoes and vegetables. Followed by a delicious chocolate and pomegranate cake.

"Shall we have drinks in the parlour?" Draco asked, placing his napkin on the table.

Eva turned to Shyla, "That's our cue to leave. Dad, we'll be in my room." She grabbed Shyla's hand and led her from the dining hall. Just outside, the girls squealed with delight. "My dad was totally flirting with your mum!"

Shyla laughed, "I know! It must be working! And I know what to do next! When my mum comes to get me, I'm going to fake asleep, so she'll have to see him in the morning. Christmas morning makes my mum ridiculously happy."

Eva grinned, "Perfect! And if your mum drinks enough, my dad may even insist she stays the night. Good hospitality, you know?"

Back in the parlor, Draco poured a fire whiskey for himself, and a butterbeer for Hermione. He proceeded to hand her the drink, and then sit on the arm of the chair in which she sat.

"They look awfully cozy for being past enemies." Ellie pointed out to Pansy from across the room. "Has he said anything to you? About whether or not he and Talia are still together?"

Pansy shook her head, "Not recently. He and Joe went out for drinks one night last week. Joe said Draco was genuinely happy. Happier than he had been in a long time. Didn't say why, but I can assure you that it's not because of Granger."

"What makes you so sure?" Ellie challenged.

"Because it's Granger. She's a know-it-all." Pansy grumbled.

Blaise sat across from Hermione and set his drink on the coffee table between them. "So Granger, you have a kid. So perhaps Granger really isn't your last name anymore?"

Hermione took a long drink of her butterbeer before answering, "I never married, if that's what you're asking."

Blaise grinned, "So no one here will take offense if I unintentionally flirt with you. But it's okay, because you have gotten actually pretty in the past twelve or so years."

"I might take offense." Hermione scoffed. She felt Draco running his finger over the fabric that covered her shoulder. He was not being very secretive, but the two glasses of wine at dinner, plus the butterbeer made her less inclined to care.

"But see, you have enjoyed one of Malfoy's parties though. By the end of this night, I'm going to get you to dance with me." Blaise challenged. "But to start, I know Pansy will dance with me! Draco, put on some tunes!"

"I told you." Draco laughed in Hermione's ear. He removed his wand from his pant's leg, and flicked it at the radio beside the bar.

As typical of Christmas Eve, the songs playing were primarily of holiday influence. Hearing a none holiday song, _This is the Night, _made Hermione laugh at the memory of the Yule Ball their fourth year. "I still can't believe the Weird Sisters played at the Yule Ball."

Nott laughed, "Pansy completely fan-girled that night. She ignored Draco the entire night."

"Oh, get off it Nott." Pansy spat, "I was a fourth year!"

"Don't let her fool you," Joe chimed in. "She still has all of their albums. Autographed, mind you."

Hermione laughed, "I'm pretty sure we all fan-girled."

Blaise in his drunken state began to sing along as he pulled Pansy to dance. It was awful singing, yet the group ignored him.

"Hey!" A voice called, entering the room. "Sorry we're late!"

Draco turned and stood greeting his guests, "Pucey! Good to see you, and Oliver of course. Let me fix you both a drink."

Adrian Pucey laughed, "I need one after the dinner we just had. My grandmother met Oliver for the first time, and she did not take it well."

Hermione turned to see Oliver Wood standing before her, along with Adrian. "Oliver!" She leaped from her chair and embraced her house mate in a hug. "It's been so long, how are you?"

"Hermione Granger. What brings you to a Malfoy party?" Oliver shook his head in disbelief.

"Forget me! What about you? Here I have been surrounded by Slytherins all evening. Nobody told me you were coming." Hermione laughed, taking her old friend's hand.

Oliver smiled gently, "Adrian and I are dating. Over a year now."

Hermione smiled back at the man before her, "That's wonderful, I am so happy for you. And how is Puddlemere doing this season?"

"Really great! But forget Quidditch, I'd say there's a drink with my name on it. Excuse me, Hermione, we will catch up more shortly." Oliver excused himself as Draco brought Hermione another drink.

"Draco," Hermione cried out, "I've already had several drinks."

"Oh, don't quit the night on me now." Draco smirked, "I promise I won't let you get a hang over." His breath smelled of fire whiskey.

"Drake, mind if I light a smoke in here?" Nott asked holding up a pack of cigarettes.

Draco shrugged, "Just make sure you use a spell to dissipate the smoke."

Nott nodded, "You want one?"

Draco glanced at Hermione and shook his head, "Nah, I'm good."

Across the room, Ellie grinned at the glance Draco gave. "There, you saw that." She whispered to Pansy, "Now, tell me that wasn't a look of desire."

Pansy sighed, "I just wish he would tell us what was going on with him and Talia, they've been together a long time."

Ellie nearly laughed, "You obviously don't recall Draco's birthday last July." She lowered her voice even further, "Talia arrived drunk, and they argued the entire time, until she left early."

Pansy nodded, "I had forgotten about that. But do you honestly think Draco would bring a new girlfriend?"

Ellie shook her head, "I don't think they even know what they have. I bet I can get them to admit there's something, though."

"Okay, miss therapist," Pansy smirked, "How?"

Ellie called over to Draco, "Draco, be a dear and come here for a moment."

Draco left where he was sitting and raised an eyebrow at the blonde woman, "Can I get you ladies a new drink?"

Ellie ignored his question and began her own, "So, tell us, are you and Tali still together?"

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Honestly? On paper, yes. In actuality, no. But, until I can find a new care taker for my mother, I will continue to pay for Talia's living. Listen, this isn't common knowledge, and we haven't told Evangeline, so I'd appreciate it if this stayed quiet. And Ellie? No need to analyze this. I tell you because you're friends."

Pansy understood, she was surprised that Draco had married Talia in the first place. "Okay. But Draco?"

He turned back to her as he walked away.

"You look happy." Pansy finished.

Draco smiled at his childhood friend. "I am."

It wasn't long until it was after midnight, and guests began to retreat home. Hermione had fallen asleep on the couch after catching up joyously with her new, and old, friends. She had made plans to have lunch with Ellie the following week, and was considering an invitation to Nott's New Year's party.

"Thank you for a lovely time, Draco." Ellie said quietly, hugging the man before her. She had grown quite of the Malfoys over the past few years.

Draco shook hands with Nott. "Can't wait for New Years. I'll see you then."

The room was quiet, when he went to the sleeping Hermione. She looked so peaceful, but knew he couldn't leave her to sleep on a couch. He brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. Her skin was smooth to the touch. Hermione's eyes fluttered open at the touch, and she smiled.

Draco laughed, "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Did I fall asleep?" Hermione asked, embarrassed.

Draco leaned in and kissed Hermione, giving in to the desire to hold her close all night. In the midst of their kiss, Ellie's voice entered the room, "Sorry, I forgot... my- erm, my coat."

Draco pulled away from Hermione and stood. "Ellie..."

Ellie almost seemed excited, "I knew it!" She blurted. "I knew there was something between you two!"

"Elle," Draco tried again. "This can't get out, not even to Nott."

"I really hate putting you in this position, Ellie." Hermione sat up, trying to explain. "You understand right?"

Ellie nodded. "If Ted asks me, I can't lie. But otherwise, your secret is safe." She retrieved her coat and bid the two goodnight.

"Draco..." Hermione started.

"I know, but it's okay. It was just Ellie." Draco shrugged it off.

"This time." Hermione emphasized.

Draco let his forehead rest on her's, "Relax, Granger. I promise, it'll be okay." He kissed her gently. "I have a present for you."

"But, why?" Hermione asked, confusion etched her face.

Draco smirked, "Because it's Christmas."

Hermione laughed lightly, "I had too much to drink." She rubbed her head as Draco left her side.

He returned with a package wrapped in a silver paper. He almost looked excited for her to open it. "Happy Christmas, Granger." He handed her the package.

Hermione had held enough books in her days to know it was a book, but the mystery of which book teased her. She tore the paper and set it aside. It was a first edition copy of _Hogwarts: A History_. Her breath caught in her throat as she opened the book, verifying that it was in fact first edition. "Draco... I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this is." She smiled at him, and before she could stop herself, she kissed him passionately.

In between breaths, Draco laughed, "I should get you books more often."

* * *

_A/N: Hooray! New chapter! I had an entire chapter written, decided I didn't like where it went or anything that happened in it... SO I rewrote the entire thing! I am much happier with the new chapter, and now I have a better idea what the next chapter will hold. Anyways, let me know what you thought!_

_DFTBA! ~PurplePygmypuff_


End file.
